Public Nuisance
by Angelikah
Summary: Klaus's manager insists that he needs a stable girlfriend to fix his public image after a messy break-up, so Klaus recruits his childhood best friend Caroline. Sure, it could be awkward if they caught feelings for each other, but that's just silly. They're just dating as friends. Cuddling platonically. Making out, but in a non-sexual way. This can't possibly go wrong.
1. Prologue

Hello everyone! This story is basically almost completely written and should end up being five chapters. I'm planning on once-a-week updates. This is for mon-amour-eternel on tumblr. The prompt was a prompt based on The Other Side by Jason DeRulo and then it just...became this trope fest. Thank you to goldcaught for the beautiful cover and to garglyswoof and chica-cherry-lola for being wonderful betas! I hope you enjoy this!

* * *

 _What's it like in New York city?_  
 _I'm a thousand miles away_  
 _But, girl, tonight you look so pretty_  
 _Times Square can't shine as bright as you_  
 _I swear, it's true_

 _~ Hey There Delilah (Plain White T's)_

* * *

"How'd it go?" Caroline asked, and he could hear the shuffle of papers in the background and the clink of a cup. It was easy to imagine her stacking her notes on the side of her desk and fiddling with a coffee mug, the french press he'd bought her as a graduation present sitting half-full by her textbooks.

He hadn't seen her in the past few months other than during their weekly Skype chats. He looked forward to Thursday evening all week, the brightness of her eyes and the sound of her laugh made wading through the sea of Hollywood rejection slightly more tolerable. Sometimes they could find extra time to talk if he didn't have a shift and she wasn't in class. Tonight, he'd managed to catch her just before she went to bed, asking how her midterm had gone, and he could hear in her tone that she was a little stressed. If the movement of objects she was fiddling with in the background hadn't been enough of a hint, her abrupt switch to asking about his audition would have.

"Good, I think," Klaus said, sensing that she wanted a distraction. "It's always difficult to tell. Sometimes they like you, but not for that specific role."

She hummed softly, and he heard the sound of sheets rustling as though she was laying down on her bed. "Well, not to like, blow up your ego any bigger than it is already, but they'd be dumb not to hire you. You're really good."

He chuckled. "I know, love."

She huffed, shifting slightly, and they sat in a comfortable silence for a few seconds before she spoke again. "Just remember us peasants when you get famous, okay?"

He smiled, looking out his bedroom window at the streets below. It was still rush hour in Los Angeles, the loud sounds of honking and groups of people making their way to after-work obligatory happy hours easily bleeding through the thin walls of his studio. "I don't think anyone who's spoken to you for more than ten seconds would associate you with the commoners, love," he teased, and she scoffed.

"Are you calling me snobby?"

"Am I wrong?"

There was a pause that he was almost sure was her rolling her eyes for her non-existent audience—though he'd gone into acting, Caroline could certainly give him a run for his money in general dramatics. "I mean...no," she admitted grudgingly. "But still, like... I just don't want to see you on the cover of People at a grocery store and not be able to call you and complain about how annoyingly photogenic you are."

He smiled slightly, his pen tapping on the pages of his sketchbook, feeling reassured that she held some of the same fears he did should his career take off. He'd always liked her, but she was rather practical by nature, and it still rankled him a bit to know that she'd had to have considered the pros and cons of a relationship at least once and decided the benefits of choosing him didn't outweigh the possible cost.

To be fair, he'd never wanted to press too much, afraid of scaring her away. A friendship with Caroline was undoubtedly better than not having her at all.

"I'm not going anywhere, love," he said, not missing her sharp exhale on the other end of the line.

"Okay," she said slowly, though he could tell from the slight drag of the vowel that she had something on her mind. He stayed quiet, knowing that if he waited long enough she wouldn't be able to stand the silence. "Just so you know, I'm not going anywhere either," she said, a frank finality in her tone that made him grin.

"Yeah?"

"Um, duh. We promised we were ride-or-die in the third grade, remember?"

"If I recall correctly, I believe you used the term "biffles", which I feel I must inform you nearly made me reconsider."

"And you would have been missing out if you had," she said cheerfully.

He grinned, leaning back in his chair and propping his feet on his desk. "True." He heard her yawn, the sheets shifting again, and he chuckled softly. "Tired?"

"Yeah. I know it's just after dinner for you, but it's late here and I've been crazy busy. Actors aren't the only ones who need their beauty sleep."

"You should sleep, then."

"I know. I'm sorry we didn't get to talk as much. Are you free this weekend? Maybe we can talk like, Sunday afternoon?"

"Sounds perfect. Good night, love."

"'Night."

The line went dead, and he set his phone down on the desk, frowning and fiddling with his pencil before bending to shade a few dots along Caroline's cheekbone, closing his eyes to try to remember exactly how the sprinkle of her freckles spread out in the summer sun. He was just finishing the shading of her right eye when his phone rang again, and he took a deep breath when he saw it was his manager. She usually texted if he didn't get a part or if she had a potential audition. She never called.

"Hello, Meredith," he greeted, trying to keep his voice calm despite his racing heart. "To what do I owe the—"

"They want to do a chemistry test with Tatia," Meredith interrupted. "If you nail it, you definitely have the role. Can you come to my office tomorrow? 2 o'clock?"

"Yes."

"Good. See you then," she said, hanging up without waiting for a goodbye, and Klaus stared at his phone, having difficulty processing what had just happened. He had no doubt that the chemistry test would go well, and he knew exactly who he wanted to tell the good news to first. He dialed the number before he realized he was doing it, wincing as it rang, hoping Caroline hadn't fallen asleep in the last fifteen minutes..

"Hey," Caroline said sleepily. "What's up?"

"Meredith just called. I got the role."

"Seriously?" Caroline squealed. "Oh my god, Klaus! That's amazing! I'm so excited for you."

"Thank you, love."

If anything felt better than getting the role, it was hearing how happy she was for him, how proud she was. He found himself more tempted than ever before to confess his feelings to her. He swallowed, gathering his nerve. "Caroline, I..." he trailed off, suddenly unable to find the right words.

"What?" she asked, and he could imagine the little furrow in her brow. The purse of her lips. He suddenly realized that it wasn't the right time. No matter how true it was and how much he wanted her to know, he couldn't do it over the phone. If it went well, he wanted to see her smile, and if it went badly, if he told her how he felt and it ruined their friendship, he'd never forgive himself if he didn't get one last glimpse of her face.

"Everything okay?" she asked, her voice penetrating his thoughts.

"Thank you," he said after a beat of silence.

"For what?"

"Being supportive."

She laughed, the sound making him smile in spite of himself.

"That's what best friends are for, you dork."

His heart clenched at the word 'friends', and he leaned back in his chair, reflecting that perhaps it was best he hadn't told her.

"I suppose it is, isn't it?"

* * *

Thank you for reading! This chapter is short, but it's the prologue. The actual chapters will probably be around three thousand words each once I separate them.

Are you interested to see more of their friendship and backstory? Any favorite parts or lines of dialogue? Are KC in character? Is there anything that I could have done better? I love to hear from you guys, and reviews are truly what inspires me to sit down and write things, so please let me know what you think!

Hugs!


	2. Klaus Mikaelson: Secret Sociopath?

I have no self-control and wanted to post this. Please don't judge meeee. Thank you to garglyswoof and chica-cherry-lola for beta work. Hope you enjoy!

* * *

 _It's been a long time since I came around  
_ _been a long time but I'm back in town  
_ _and this time I'm not leaving without you_

 _~ "You and I" (Lady GaGa)_

* * *

 **FIVE YEARS LATER...**

* * *

 _ **KLAUS MIKAELSON: SECRET SOCIOPATH?**_

 _by Josh Rosza_

 _...According to O'Connell, the actor was chronically unavailable, never returning texts unless he wanted something. She takes a deep shaking breath every few sentences while she talks about it, clearly devastated but luckily for me (and you) still willing to spill all the juicy tidbits about their breakup._

" _He had so many walls and made me feel like I could be the one to open him up," O'Connell tells me tearfully. "It was just so manipulative. I should have known it was just a trap."_

 _She takes a tissue and dabs at her eyes, her mascara streaking, and I ask her whether she regrets the relationship._

" _Of course!" she says before calling him a few colorful names unsuitable for print (though she does add 'and feel free to put those in the article' at the end of the list). "He's a jerk, and I hope that every woman who truly supports women understands why I'm going public with how heartless he was."..._

Klaus winced as he flipped through the article, acutely aware that his manager was watching him with sharp disapproving eyes. He didn't particularly care how Meredith felt, but she was at least competent at getting him jobs and discreetly cleaning up any messes he happened to be involved in. It was best to stay on her good side, and he knew it would be a challenge to get her in a better mood now that his texts to Camille ending their relationship had been leaked to the world.

"Care to explain?" Meredith asked, an eyebrow raised.

"Sociopath is a little extreme," he said dryly, closing the magazine and letting it drop to the desk with a smack. "I suppose that's what I get for seeing someone who believes she's the next Freud because she played a psychologist once."

Meredith snorted, her manicured nails drumming against the desktop. "No, it's what you get for shutting down personal questions in every interview and being notoriously demanding with your staff."

"I like to think I'm demanding but fair. They're paid better than 90% of the assistants in the industry and I've never fired anyone without a good reason."

To be fair, that had a lot to do with Caroline learning how much his first assistant made and being horrified by it, but Meredith didn't know that.

"Yes, _we_ both know that, but the public doesn't," Meredith said patiently. "I'll call Greta to see if she can slip a comment about what a good boss you were into an interview for her pilot, but we do need to do a little more than that to repair this."

"And what exactly do you propose?"

"A new relationship. One that lasts more than a few months and can at least _look_ meaningful."

He shook his head. "No. Absolutely not."

"Look, the fact that you point-blank told Camille that she was only good for sex—"

"That's not what I said. I told her that I had intended for our relationship to be casual and thought I had made that clear."

"To all the horrified middle-aged women in bad marriages it's the same thing," Meredith said bluntly, and Klaus barely stopped himself from groaning. "It needs to be someone more wholesome than your usual type, too. One who could believably either reform you or bring out your good side."

Though Klaus didn't plan on informing Meredith, his type did lean more towards 'wholesome', mostly because his type was one person in particular.

"I have no interest in being _reformed_."

"Part of being a celebrity is being a fantasy," Meredith said, sounding genuinely sympathetic but still firm. "You knew that your brand was 'saveable bad boy', and it's biting you in the ass. You have to roll with the punches if you want to survive this. I just want what's best for your career."

"And your bottom line," Klaus said, and Meredith's lips twitched.

"Yes, which depends heavily on my clients' careers, including yours."

Fair enough, he supposed.

"I have a few choices for you," Meredith continued. "All of their managers owe me favors. Just keep in mind that you'll be stuck with them for six months at least—"

"This can't be the only way to do this."

"Can you think of a better one?" she asked, pausing for a few seconds to see if he had anything. He didn't. "No? Okay, then. How about April Young?"

"Too boring."

"Valerie Tulle?"

"Too clingy."

"Jane-Anne Deveraux?"

"Too irritating."

"Liv—"

"How about Caroline?" Klaus interrupted.

"Caroline? Caroline who?"

"Caroline Forbes. We've known each other since primary school."

Meredith frowned for a few seconds, and Klaus was about to pull out his phone to show her a picture when she seemed to remember. "Blonde girl, right? Came with you to the first premiere of _Our Town_?"

"Yes."

Meredith pulled out a pen and a notepad, scribbling down her name. "What does she do?"

"She's a marketing director for Saltzman & Sommers."

"The department store?"

"Obviously."

Meredith shot him a chastising look. "How old is she?"

"Twenty-five."

"Height?"

"Does it matter?"

"She needs to photograph well with you."

"That won't be a problem."

Meredith pressed her lips together in a thin line. "Does she have any skeletons in the closet? Scandals?"

Klaus snorted. "None that I know of. She's, as you requested, _wholesome_."

"Okay," Meredith said after a second. "Ask her, and if she agrees we'll have to make an appointment to sign an NDA."

"There's no need—"

"You say that now, but you never know. Better to be safe than sorry."

"No. Caroline's not like that."

Meredith stared at him for a second, studying his expression, and he shifted uncomfortably. "There won't be any complications, will there?" she asked.

"What do you mean?"

"You don't have feelings for her do you? I don't want things to get any messier than they already are."

"No," he lied. "Not at all."

 **XXX**

Caroline frowned at her phone when it went off, picking it up and raising her eyebrows at the caller ID. She glanced around the office and signaled to Bonnie that she'd be right back before walking into one of the small conference rooms for some privacy.

"Shouldn't you be asleep? You're in Greece. Like, what time is it there, two in the morning?" she asked in lieu of a greeting, and she heard the familiar chuckle on the other side that still made her heart skip.

"Yes and yes," Klaus said, and she could hear the smile in his voice. "I was attempting to wait until you'd left the office."

She sighed, sinking down in one of the leather chairs that sat around the conference table, resting her cheek in her palm. "Sadly, no. We have to have the entire ad campaign for the Memorial Day Sale out in a few days and Stefan has the flu, so he can't come in."

"Ah, Stefan. Always ruining everything," Klaus drawled, and she winced, knowing that Klaus only heard about her coworkers when she was mad at them and needed to complain.

"He's really not that bad," she said, pressing on despite Klaus's scoff of disbelief. "But how are you? I saw the article."

"As well as can be expected, I suppose," Klaus said loftily, and Caroline bit her lip, glancing out of the highrise window.

"You get back Tuesday, right? I can come over with fettuccini alfredo and convince you to break your actor ab diet and we can watch a movie?"

Her mouth was honestly already watering at the prospect of dinner from _Salvatore's_ , the hole in the wall they went to whenever he was in town. Stefan had his faults, but she figured it was rude to hate him when his cousin's restaurant was so good.

"Sounds wonderful, sweetheart."

"Great! I'll even try not to point out that what you said when you broke up with her _over text_ was really not great."

"You sound like Meredith," Klaus said grumpily. "And it wasn't a breakup. We were friends with benefits."

"That's supposed to make it better?" Caroline teased, and Klaus huffed, a soft creak indicating he'd sat down on the couch in his trailer.

"I don't want to talk about it."

"Okay, what do you want to talk about then?"

"How are you?" Klaus asked after a beat of silence. "Not too busy to give me the latest office gossip as a distraction, I hope?"

"Since when have you been interested in my office drama?"

"I'm interested in your life," he said, and the note of earnestness honestly kind of made her want to strangle him.

"How about you go to bed, and I'll tell you all about it Tuesday night. Sixish?"

"It's a date," he said, and she hated that her heart skipped a beat. "Good luck at work, sweetheart."

"Thanks. Bye!"

 **XXX**

"I don't think there's any universe where that text could be classified as 'fine'," Caroline said, raising her eyebrows, and Klaus grimaced, stabbing a deliciously parmesan-covered piece of chicken with his fork.

"It would have been fine if it hadn't leaked."

"Well, that's why you don't put stuff like that in writing. There is no way to break up with someone by text without sounding like an asshole."

Part of her felt bad for being so hard on him. After all, if texts from the messy breakup between her and Matt had ended up in Star Magazine for the entire world to see she'd probably be sacrificing her sacred celebrity diet to scarf down cheap pasta too.

"If it's any consolation, she sounded super vindictive and bitter in the article. Her big argument was women supporting women? _Seriously_?"

She leaned forward on Klaus's disgustingly comfortable leather couch to reach the coffee table and refilled his glass with whiskey, pouring herself a second glass of wine before biting into a piece of garlic bread, trying her best not to get crumbs all over the place.

She fell back against the cushions with a sigh and propped her feet up on the ottoman next to his, curling her bare toes against the leather. He'd offered her free use of his New York apartment when she'd moved to work at Saltzman & Sommers since he barely used it, but she'd felt too much like a freeloader and had found her own place. Admittedly, she really regretted it now. He had amazing furniture and a well-equipped kitchen that he never used. He also had a bathtub, something that her tiny studio in the Upper West Side most certainly did not.

"What was I supposed to do, exactly? Book a six hour flight to where she's filming to tell her that my sexual desire for her has subsided and then immediately fly back so that I could be on set by nine? Talk about a waste of an afternoon."

She grinned over her glass of wine as he attempted to defend himself. She didn't get to tease him for bad decisions often, and it was nice to see him floundering.

"You couldn't have waited a few weeks until you were both free?"

He rolled his eyes, glancing at her. She'd had the sense for the whole evening that he was nervous about something. At first she'd attributed it to the whole 'text history with his ex-bootycall being leaked to the entire planet' thing, but she was getting the growing feeling that it was something else. "Again, you sound like Meredith."

"Well, clearly Meredith's a smart lady," she said, taking a sip of wine, and Klaus sighed.

"Well, I'm not sure you'll still have that opinion by the end of the night."

"Why?"

Klaus was silent for a few seconds, twisting his bourbon glass in his hands until a few drops sloshed over the side, and then he downed it in one go, setting the glass down and looking at her.

"She wants to change the narrative."

Caroline nodded. "I mean, that makes sense. How's she planning on doing it?"

"Well," Klaus began, drawing out the word in a way that made an eerie feeling of foreboding swell in Caroline's gut. "She thinks I, or my image, rather, would benefit from a serious relationship."

Caroline's stomach twisted despite her best efforts. Though she'd accepted a long time ago that Klaus's crush on her was clearly gone while hers had irritatingly grown, it didn't make the idea of him in a serious relationship with someone else any easier. It was silly, she knew, but a small part of her still nursed the dream that they might get their happy ending.

"So you're going to rope in some poor groupie and use her to fix your image?" Caroline asked, trying not to sound too bitter and probably failing.

"Not exactly," Klaus said, glancing at her out of the corner of his eye. "Ideally she'd be someone I could trust, someone I knew well, since we'd need her to keep the secret."

"Makes sense," she said slowly, the feeling of something being horribly wrong only growing stronger.

"And we're looking for someone on the more wholesome side of things without a history of scandals, preferably who isn't in the industry and therefore wouldn't have as much to risk," he began, glancing at her again.

In that single horrible moment she realized exactly where this was going. Her eyes narrowed and she shook her head. "No. Absolutely not."

"And," Klaus continued, a bit more loudly. "It would be preferable if it was someone who I had a history with so that the abrupt shift from Camille could be explained as me finally seeing my chance after all this time rather than me being a total git..."

"Considering what you're asking you are a 'total git'," Caroline said with aggressively emphasized air-quotes.

"Meeting in primary school would give it the perfect angle—" Klaus continued, his tone coaxing and hitting just the right note to tug on her heartstrings.

"Klaus," she groaned, looking up at the ceiling and trying her best not to cave. "No."

Her resistance now sounded weak even to herself, and she knew Klaus could tell, his voice low as he went in for the kill.

"I can't trust anyone else with this, sweetheart."

She huffed, draining her wine glass and glaring in the general direction of Klaus's sketchbook. She'd never been able to say no to him. If she was honest with herself, there was a part of her that didn't even want to. "I hate you," she muttered, setting down her empty glass. "A lot."

"Thank you, sweetheart," he said, clearly knowing that was code for yes. "You're brilliant."

"I know," she grumbled. "And you owe me."

"Anything you want," he said immediately, and her heart dropped just a bit at his words. She wanted it to be real _so badly_ , but Klaus was clearly over her, undoubtedly he had been for years, and she was more than sure that this wasn't going to end well.

Whatever, they'd just keep it platonic, and she wanted to help him. How hard could it be to do a few photo ops and give him hugs in public? It's not like she was going to have to make out with him against the wall of a Starbucks. She was just helping a friend.

* * *

I hope you liked this! Do you have thoughts about the time jump? Characterization? How do you feel about their friendship? Any predictions? I can't wait to hear what you think! Feedback is how I get inspired to write more, and it makes me a better writer! Thank you for reading.


	3. Klaus Mikaelson on the Rebound?

Thank you to garglyswoof for helping me out with this chapter!

* * *

 _And if they find out, will it all go wrong?_  
 _And heaven knows, no one wants it to_  
 _So I could take the back road_  
 _But your eyes'll lead me straight back home_

 _~ "Friends" (Ed Sheeran)_

* * *

 _ **KLAUS MIKAELSON ON THE REBOUND?**_

 _by Elena Gilbert_

 _Well, you heard it from Mystic Mag first! Sources close to the actor have hinted that he's already off the market yet again. The lucky mystery woman has been rumored to be none other than Caroline Forbes, a childhood friend, pictured below at the premiere for his first movie, Our Town._

 _Do you think it's a relationship meant to last, or is it just a rebound after his public break-up with actress Camille O'Connell mere weeks ago? Let us know in the comments..._

"You look beautiful."

Caroline gave him a look that he associated with double-dipping french fries and "making her radio depressed" by playing moody acoustic guitar covers. She clearly thought he was teasing her, but he'd never been more serious. The short sundress she was wearing floated around her thighs, the thin straps on her shoulders surrounded by a dusting of summer freckles that he'd longed to trace with his tongue for years whenever they'd appeared. He knew he should feel guilty that he was looking forward to finally discovering what her hand felt like clasped in his, whether her skin was as soft as it looked, but he was nothing if not an opportunist.

Hopefully Caroline wouldn't find out that choosing her had been his suggestion rather than Meredith's. It had been too good an opening to pass up.

"Where are we headed?"

There was something tense about the way she was holding herself that he didn't like. Her expression was unusually guarded, the set of her jaw unfamiliar. The air held a strange undercurrent of hesitance that was almost palpable, and it made him uncomfortable to see her like this. He was so used to her sunny smiles and easy laugh, and he suddenly felt like he might have gone too far by asking her to do this. Caroline was fiercely loyal by nature, generally willing to do almost anything for a friend, and it made him slightly sick that he might be taking advantage of her because he so selfishly wanted her close.

"You don't have to do this, sweetheart."

She frowned. "What?"

"I didn't intend to pressure you into helping me, and if you don't want—"

"Klaus," she said slowly, drawing out his name as a warning. "You know me. Do you think I'd be doing this if I didn't want to help?"

"Wanting to help and being comfortable with what said assistance requires are two entirely different animals, love."

She pursed her lips, taking a step towards him and grabbing his hand, lacing her fingers with his, her eyes darting to look at their joined hands before she met his gaze. "I wouldn't have said yes if I didn't want to," she repeated, squeezing his hand lightly.

He fell into step beside her as they walked down the front path of her apartment building, noticing that she took a shaky breath when they got to the gate. "All right, love?"

"Fine," she said. "Just nervous."

She sighed at his questioning look.

"Well like, we've been photographed together before, but it's just different now, I guess. Now that we're pretending that we're together-together, you know?"

"I understand. I'll do my best to shield you from the worst bits of public life, all right?"

She grinned, shaking her head. "It's fine. I'm prepared. I already set my Twitter and Instagram to private to fend off your adoring fans who think death threats are the best way to capture your heart."

"Mental, the lot of them," he grumbled, and she grabbed his hand with a bright grin that was somehow much more _Caroline_ than any smile she'd shot him since she arrived.

"What happened to 'Oh, Caroline, don't poke fun at young ladies with good taste'?"

"Your accent is still atrocious, sweetheart."

"Well your American one needs some work too, buddy. You sound midwestern and it's weird."

"You can tell me all about it over coffee, love."

"In a proper copper coffee pot?" she drawled with wide too-innocent eyes, and he was absolutely certain she was purposefully butchering his accent.

"I think we're going to be late if we don't leave in the next quarter-hour. Meredith's given one of the photographers a tip-off on where we'll be."

"Okay," Caroline said, squeezing his hand. "Ready to give them something to gossip about?"

"After you, love."

They walked to a nearby coffee shop before making their way to Central Park, hoping the masses of people would help shield them until they found a more remote location. She finally settled on a park bench after about a half-hour of wandering, immediately pressing herself against his side when he followed, his arm sliding comfortably around her shoulders. "They're on our right, I think."

She hummed, taking a sip of her coffee. He inhaled slowly, trying not to be too obvious as he caught the familiar scent of strawberry shampoo that lingered when she hugged him. "So, I heard that your new movie is Oscar-bait."

He grinned. "That's what the film critics are spouting, it's true. I happen to think that it's a compelling narrative with a role that allowed me to display my range as an actor to tell a brave man's story."

Caroline snorted, pulling away slightly to give him a teasing grin. "No, seriously."

"Oscar-bait," he confirmed with a smirk, his hand tracing her spine absently. "Shameless, really."

She laughed, and he heard a click from nearby, seeing a photographer out of the corner of his eye. "Good. You were totally robbed last time."

"I don't disagree."

Her eyes flitted down to his lips before meeting his gaze, though he doubted she had any idea she'd done it. He leaned closer, noting the hitch of her breath and the way her chin tipped up just slightly, how she subtly sat up straight to put her lips barely an inch from his.

"May I?" he asked, and he heard Caroline take a sharp breath, her hand moving to rest on his upper arm as she made a soft hum to indicate agreement. He knew an opportunity when he saw one, and he bent to press his lips to hers.

He was vaguely aware of cameras clicking away around them, but he found himself lost in her taste, the soft moan that fell from her lips as she kissed him back, fingers tracing the collar of his coat. Her cheek was soft against his palm when she leaned into his touch, and he opened his mouth slightly to trace her bottom lip with his tongue, pleased at her soft moan when he nipped the skin before sucking her lip lightly to soothe the bite. He pulled away after what felt like far too short a time, smiling slightly when he saw her puffy lips and dark, hazy eyes. "All right, love?"

He saw what might have been a flash of uncertainty in her eyes as she seemed to come back to herself before she nodded, smiling slightly. "Yeah. I—"

"Klaus Mikaelson?" a high-pitched voice shrieked from their left, and he cursed the timing of the two teen girls standing near them, both clearly starstruck.

"Hello," he said reluctantly, irritated with the teenage girls for ruining their moment, and he heard Caroline laugh quietly, pulling away.

"Let's greet your adoring fan club," she teased, and he tried not to grimace as he did so, thankful that Caroline stuck close to his side to physically block unwanted hugs.

They took a few selfies with the fans before sending them on their way. Caroline spent the next few minutes teasing him mercilessly about how one had hissed to the other that he was cuter in person (along with a few decidedly more colorful compliments about various parts of his anatomy that the girl only could have seen if she'd been peeking through his bedroom window) when the teens thought they were out of earshot.

"-and if I'd known that I'd have such stiff competition for your heart and body I wouldn't have bothered."

"I don't know why, sweetheart. You rarely lose," he teased, and she bumped his shoulder with hers, humming when he gave her a one-armed hug and laying her head on his shoulder.

"True. We should still head out before any more potential girlfriend material turns up, though. I wouldn't want you to end up on another trash magazine cover for emotional cheating or something."

Klaus snorted, plucking the coffee cups from the bench under Caroline's watchful eye and throwing them in the bin before accompanying her down the path to the park's edge to catch a cab back to her apartment.

He watched as Caroline clutched the handle over the door tightly when the taxi made its third illegal left turn at an alarming speed, her nails digging into her palm.

"Slow down a bit, mate?" Klaus said lightly, though he knew the taxi driver took it as an order when they skidded to a stop in front of a light. Caroline's shoulders dropped slightly as she relaxed, giving Klaus a thankful smile, and when they finally pulled up at her apartment, he shoved two fifties into the driver's hand and winced as Caroline got out of the car, still slightly shaken, the taxi speeding away the second the door slammed.

"I thought I was going to die," Caroline said slowly. "I don't care how many teens want your autograph. Next time we're taking the subway."

"Yes, sweetheart," he teased, sliding his arm around her waist, pleased when she immediately leaned against him. He doubted that there was anyone there to take their picture, didn't have the eerie prickle on the back of his neck from being watched, but the defense that it seemed prudent to get in the habit whenever they were in public seemed reasonable.

He'd spent so long resisting the urge to press a hand to her back or pull her close that he still couldn't quite believe it was real.

Well, he supposed, it wasn't _real_. Not yet.

Caroline wanted him, wanted _them_ , and he knew that. Unfortunately, she seemed to be holding herself back, and he knew that if he confessed his feelings before she was ready to hear them she might reject him out of fear. If she got through this charade without admitting it, he supposed he'd have to finally try to let go of his feelings, but if all went well, he'd never have to let her go.

 **XXX**

"I thought you were 'just friends'," Bonnie said without preamble, a cat-that-ate-the-canary smile stretched across her face as she leaned against Caroline's office door, a cup of coffee held in her hand.

Shameless bribery, but she'd take it.

Over her three years at the company Bonnie had become Caroline's other best friend and was the only one to whom she'd confided her crush. She'd also insisted that she and Klaus were only going to be friends, that he didn't have feelings for her, and that the topic was closed.

Unfortunately, Bonnie seemed to take the magazine article as an invitation to reopen it.

"Well, now we're not," Caroline said awkwardly, trying not to blush. "I can't talk about it. I signed an NDA."

It was a complete lie. Klaus had mentioned that Meredith wanted Caroline to sign something but he'd talked her out of it, his irritation with his manager clear in his tone. Still, it was a believable enough excuse.

"You _what_?" Bonnie asked, her eyebrows flying up. "Please tell me you brought a lawyer for that. Care, you can't just sign things, even if it's from your best friend-slash-boyfriend."

"Don't worry, Bon. Someone looked it over," Caroline lied, trying not to wince. Of course her friend would be more concerned now.

"Can you talk about anything?" Bonnie asked slowly.

"I mean, if you have questions I can just tell you whether I'm allowed to talk about it or not," Caroline said, taking a sip of her coffee and humming contentedly.

"When did you guys start dating?"

"Can't answer that."

"How did you start dating?"

"Not that either."

"Have you slept with him?"

Caroline flushed, biting her lip, and was about to hedge the question when Bonnie pressed on. "Oh my god, that's totally a yes."

"It was..." she trailed off, realizing Bonnie wouldn't buy a 'no' and searching for an adequate word. 'Fine' seemed rude, 'amazing' seemed more like lying no matter how amazing it was in her dreams. "Good," she finished. "Really good."

"Details, Caroline! I need details!"

"I can't!" Caroline protested, but she knew she was in trouble when Bonnie closed the door, clicking the lock and sitting down, her chin perched on her hands as she looked at Caroline expectantly. "Bon, seriously!"

She'd never been able to hide anything from Bonnie (or Klaus as long as you didn't count the whole 'not telling him she was in love with him' thing). She'd always been bad at keeping her own secrets, though she was much better about other people's, and it was hard not to blurt out the whole truth with Bonnie staring at her like _that_.

"Come on, Care. Do you think I'm going to leak it or something?"

"No," Caroline said reluctantly, her mind racing as she thought of the best way to handle it. General fibs, maybe? Something that would be believable enough to get Bonnie to leave her alone but not quite a _lie_. God, why hadn't she talked to Klaus about the inevitable interrogation?

"Caroline!"

"Okay, okay," Caroline said, squeezing her eyes shut. "So, remember when he called me a few weeks ago and I ducked into a conference room?"

"Yeah."

"So he asked me to come over for dinner when he got back, and so when we met up he told me that he broke up with Camille because he realized that it wasn't fair to her for him to date her when he liked me."

Bonnie was clearly enraptured by what was basically the oldest trope in the world, her eyes wide. "And _then_?"

"And then I kissed him."

" _And then_?"

"And then we had sex. And it was good."

"Like...missionary or...?"

"Bonnie!"

"He always seemed like someone who would be super kinky. There's something about the smirking..."

Caroline rolled her eyes. "We'll save that for the second date."

"So he is?"

"Handcuffs," Caroline said, keeping a perfectly straight face. "Very into handcuffs. He told me once when he visited me at NYU for a weekend and we got drunk. He was auditioning for a cop movie at the time."

It was true, had haunted her fantasies ever since, and she was hoping it would satisfy Bonnie enough to back off.

She was mistaken.

"Anything else?"

"Nope!" Caroline lied. Vivid memories of the Never Have I Ever incident of 2009 still made her flush and she was totally _not_ ready to share that with Bonnie. They'd just graduated high school and had been at the big summer kickoff bonfire party. Marcel had said he'd never had public sex, clearly not expecting anyone to bite, and Klaus had met her eyes squarely. No one drank, but she felt her breath catch, her thighs clenching uncomfortably at the way Klaus was looking at her. Hungrily, as though he'd like nothing more than to drag her through the trees and do just that.

Bonnie looked like she didn't believe it, but seemed to decide to let it go for now. "Okay. Well, let me grab the portfolios we got from the applicants for the internship. We should make a decision on interviews by four-ish. I'll be right back."

Caroline nodded, leaning back in her chair after Bonnie left and about to go through her mountain of emails when her phone buzzed.

[Klaus]: Would you happen to be free tonight?

[Caroline]: For?

[Klaus]: Dinner.

She bit her lip, mentally calculating the amount of time it would take to finish up her latest batch of work. Interviewing interns meant that her schedule would be busier for the next few weeks, but Klaus would only be around for another few days before he flew back to LA for some networking events. She glanced up as Bonnie returned, a pile of folders in her arms. "Do you mind if I take off at fiveish?"

"I'm not your boss anymore, Caroline," Bonnie reminded with a grin. "Do you. Just make sure you're around tomorrow to prep for the All Hands with me."

"As if I'd let you suffer through it alone," Caroline said with a grin, already typing out her response to Klaus.

[Caroline]: I can do dinner. Meet you at your place around 6?

[Klaus]: Perfect.

It would be the first time they saw each other since the kiss in Central Park, and she wasn't sure how to feel about it. They'd always had good chemistry, but just that one kiss had been hotter than anything she'd ever done with anyone else. She wasn't sure how she'd look him in the face knowing that he had just been acting when the soft moan he'd pulled from her lips had been completely genuine, when she'd gone home and given into the temptation of letting her fantasies wander to his voice and his hands...

She shut her eyes tightly, reminding herself firmly that he was over her. They were friends. They had made out on a park bench as friends. There was no point in pining away for him when their relationship was temporary. It would just make it awkward later.

"Caroline?" Bonnie said, her tone indicating that it hadn't been the first time she'd said her name, a smug smirk on her face. "Thinking about something you want to share with the class?"

Caroline abruptly realized that she'd been tracing her lips with her finger as she'd been staring at her phone, and she felt her cheeks heat.

"Nope."

* * *

Thanks for reading! Please let me know what you thought in a review! Did you like the date? Did the contrast between how they view their friendship work for you? Do you like Caroline's relationship with Bonnie? Do you have a favorite line or scene? Any other feedback? Reviews are how I become a better writer and they inspire me to write more things!


	4. Caroline Forbes: Maneater?

Thank you to garglyswoof for beta work. I hope you guys like this one! I'm sorry it's so inconsistently long.

* * *

 _I hear them whisper  
_ _They think we're lovers kept under covers  
_ _Let's give them something to talk about  
_ _How about love_

 _~ "Something to Talk About" (Bonnie Raitt)_

* * *

 _ **Caroline Forbes: Maneater?**_

 _by Andi Starr_

 _The reports of Klaus Mikaelson's new side piece Caroline Forbes are so romantic on their face, but is it possible that there's more beneath the surface of this whirlwind romance? After some digging, it's been revealed that Klaus' latest has been through three men in the past two years, all of the relationships with less than a month or two separating them, and all of them with successful men. Is it possible that Klaus is just her next conquest? She did manage to steal him away just after his messy public break-up with Camille O'Connell, and from previous reporting we know that Forbes has known him for years. An anonymous source who knew the couple in high school commented that the two had never dated, but that Mikaelson had clearly had a long-running crush on her. Is it possible that now that her so-called best friend has turned into a success she's using old feelings for new gain? They're pictured above on their latest date, front-row seats to Phantom of the Opera, and our magazine's body language reading specialist has some truth tea to spill about how she might be less receptive to his touch than she seems..._

"You lied to me," Meredith said matter-of-factly, slapping a printed copy of the article covering his and Caroline's most recent date on her desk rather melodramatically. Klaus glanced down to see a shot of him and Caroline from two nights before, standing in front of one of the theatres on Broadway, Caroline having insisted on dragging him to a musical. The still showed her smiling as he pressed a kiss to her temple, her fingers tangled with his. "This girl is either a missed opportunity for my bottom line or completely head-over-heels for you."

"You're more upset that she's a competent actress than you are that the press essentially called her a _shallow,_ _gold-digging tart_ -"

"And normally I wouldn't put it past you to take advantage of someone like this, because frankly you have about as much empathy as your average serial killer, but something tells me that Caroline's a special case for you."

"This was a reprehensible example of the press _attacking my girlfriend-"_

"We both know she's not your girlfriend," Meredith interrupted, her eyebrows raising at the barest hint of a wince on Klaus's face. "You like her, don't you?" she asked, her eyes narrowed. It was at times like this that he was reminded that Meredith also managed talent like Kai Parker and Celeste Dubois. It was difficult to get anything past her even when she wasn't paying much attention, but now that she smelled blood it would be almost impossible to divert her from the truth.

"I've known her since I was eight," Klaus said tightly. "And she called me this morning because she saw this at the corner store by her office. Someone literally spat at her on the way to work. She's terrified to go out in public."

"Perhaps you shouldn't have fake-dated someone who hasn't been in the public eye before. You didn't answer my question," Meredith said calmly, and Klaus glared at her.

"She didn't ask for this. She's doing it as a favor to me. I want security hired for her immediately. I'll pay out of my own pocket if I have to. She's not being compensated for this, so it's the least you can do."

"Done," Meredith said immediately. "I'll call Alexander as soon as we're done."

"Good."

"And really, if you two are dancing around each other in more than a friendly way we should bring her in to sign something."

"No," Klaus said simply. "If we break up and she decides to write a tell-all memoir you're welcome to say 'I told you so', but Caroline's not like that."

"I never thought you of all people would let your feelings interfere with your job," Meredith said, her nails drumming on the desktop. "But suit yourself."

"I'm not worried."

"In any case, I do think it's a good idea to schedule an interview and photoshoot with Elena Gilbert from Mystic Magazine for both of you. It'll give her an opportunity to counter the narrative."

"Tatia's cousin? That seems unwise considering the circumstances."

"I disagree. It's exactly what we need. It shows that Tatia doesn't have any lingering resentment. Is your ego too big to handle that she might be over you after four years?"

He debated saying yes just to see Meredith's face, but she'd already moved on.

"Tell Caroline to come by your place around ten o'clock on Saturday. She should dress comfortably. Nothing too revealing, but not a nun either."

Klaus snorted. "I'll be sure to pass along your specifications."

Meredith gave him a stern look before looking down at her notes. "The premiere is coming up at the end of November, and I think we'll make it your first public event appearance together. I have a few suggestions..."

XXX

"I know that I should have expected it, but it's still irritating," Caroline grumbled, dipping a rice crisp in her ceviche and taking a bite, highly aware of the paparazzi on the other side of the street and trying her best not to have awful table manners. "I guess it was only a matter of time someone wrote something horrible about me, but three months in seems a little late."

"I'm sorry, sweetheart."

Caroline nodded in acknowledgment, but was honestly just getting started on her rant, and by the way Klaus was leaning back in his chair with a politely attentive look she knew he could tell. "And it was so slut-shamey too! Like, I'm sorry I had three boyfriends in the last two years, I guess? Frigging sue me. And stealing you from Camille. Can you _get_ more misogynistic than that? You broke up with her. That was _your_ choice. It's not like I magically snapped my fingers and was like 'oh you're mine now' followed by a wicked witch of the west cackle."

"I know, love."

"And _also_ ," she continued, scooping another lump of ceviche onto her chip. "That crazy stuff about me being a gold-digger...Like, seriously? I work in marketing for a high-end department store. I'm making six figures and I am a fucking _catch,_ okay? Call any of my old boyfriends and they'll all say that it was an amicable, mutual breakup-And Damon _doesn't count_. I'm sorry, but he deserved getting walked out on in front of all of his frat bro friends at that bar."

"I don't disagree," Klaus said lightly.

"Yeah, because he is the king of all douches. I just...this is a lot."

"Well, how is Tyler working out?" Klaus asked, and Caroline smiled slightly.

"He's good, actually! Thanks for having Meredith get me a bodyguard. I know it's silly, but it just feels safer."

"It's not silly," he said, and she could hear the irritability in his tone. The danger. "You got spat on by a stranger and harassed on the street."

"Klaus..." she started, trailing off when she saw his face. She'd been upset by the article, but Klaus seemed to be more angry about it than she was. "Seriously, it's fine."

"If you'd feel more comfortable staying in my guest room-"

"It's okay," Caroline interrupted, shoving away the temptation to say yes, if only for the bathtub (trying to put her and Klaus _in_ the bathtub out of her mind). "I'll be fine. I promise."

He gave her a long look, assessing her honestly before nodding and turning back to his food. "I am sorry, sweetheart. Really. I can have Meredith call them? She's excellent at putting the fear of god into even the strongest of souls."

She smiled slightly at his offer. It was sometimes nice to be reminded that he always had her back, even though she knew that logically. She knew him well enough to know that he felt helpless watching her get caught up in a whirlwind of negative press and being unable to do much about it. She doubted he'd be satisfied without feeling like he'd done something, but she wasn't really sure what purpose having Meredith call them would serve.

"It's fine. I can handle it. I just...let's not talk about it. It'll only make it worse for me if they take pictures of our date where you're crabby."

He raised his eyebrows in disbelief, and she flushed. "Okay, let's just say I've filled our crabby quota and they don't need more pictures."

"Fair," he said, though it was clear from the look on his face that the subject wasn't dropped forever. "On to more exciting subjects. How are the new interns?"

"Well I haven't murdered any of them yet, so we'll take it as a win."

Klaus made a hum of what was probably supposed to be sympathy, though the way he fought down a smile gave away how funny he found it that half of the interns they'd hired had cornered her to ask about Klaus within the first week. "Do you like any of them, at least?"

"There are two who I really like, actually. Anna is sweet and has a great eye for design, and I can tell that she's trying really hard to not ask questions about you, which I appreciate. There's also Vincent, who does not seem interested in you at all. He's really smart and has great proofreading skills. The other two I could take or leave."

"Not living up to your expectations?" he teased, and Caroline grimaced. After five years at the company, three of which involving running the internship program in the fall, she generally knew who she wanted to hire for the two permanent positions within the first three weeks. This group had been the easiest one by far.

"Well, not many of them do. I always feel kind of bad for being such a hardass, but I feel like six twenty-two year olds have more than enough brainpower to make a powerpoint."

"Perhaps too much," Klaus said lightly, setting down his water glass. "Split them into pairs. They'll fight less and get more done."

Caroline sighed, swirling the dregs of wine in the bottom of her glass. "That's what we did. Unfortunately there's always one person who takes over."

"I seem to remember you doing much the same, so perhaps you shouldn't judge too harshly," Klaus said, his lips twitching, and she rolled her eyes.

"No one died."

"Low standards, sweetheart."

She hummed, shrugging. "Well, I learned how to be a team player in college. These kids one hundred percent didn't." She glared at him when she saw his raised eyebrows. "I'm _totally_ a team player."

"As long as you're captain."

She huffed. He wasn't exactly _wrong_ , but she had no interest in admitting it.

"And you were so insistent earlier that we musn't look _crabby_ lest an anonymous source close to us claim a break-up," he teased, and she rolled her eyes, her lips twitching.

"That would be tragic after all of this effort," she said, impulsively reaching to put her hand on top of his. "Can't have everyone thinking I was just another fling."

He smiled, turning his hand over to run his thumb along her knuckle and holding her gaze with his for a moment, the heat in it making her flush. She hadn't been able to stop thinking about the kiss since it happened, hadn't been able to stop thinking about the way he'd _looked_ at her. She felt like every brush of his skin against hers held something that it hadn't before. When he held her hand or put his arm around her waist it felt so natural. So _right_.

The date before they'd seen _Phantom_ had been an ice cream date as they caught the last dregs of summer, the early September heat and humidity lending itself perfectly to walking around the city trying not to let their hands get sticky, and he'd kissed her again while they waited for Tyler to pick her up, his tongue tracing her bottom lip.

She hadn't seen a shot of it anywhere, and she wondered if they'd even been photographed. There was something appealing about that kiss being just for them, even if it was a pretend kiss.

"Caroline, I've been meaning to—" he began, interrupting her thoughts before he sighed as his phone buzzed in his jacket, scowling when he looked at the caller ID. "Meredith."

"Take it. I'll just eat your food while you're gone."

Sue her, his carpaccio looked fucking _delicious._ He kissed her briefly on the temple as he went out the side gate of the restaurant's patio so that the paparazzi wouldn't overhear, and she reached to spear a bit of his food on her fork, humming as she took a bite. Klaus didn't look pleased as he said something to Meredith, the set of his jaw as he spoke letting her almost hear his clipped consonants and peevish tone despite being out of earshot. He finally hung up and came back, giving her a strained smile.

"Sorry about that, love."

"What's wrong?"

"I have to fly back on Thursday for a press event on Saturday."

"Seriously? You were supposed to be here for the whole we—" she cut herself off as she heard a camera click. "I'll miss you," she said awkwardly, and he followed her line of vision in the direction of the cameras before turning back to her.

"That reminds me, Meredith wants us to do an interview with _Mystic Magazine_ as well as a photoshoot."

"Because of the article?" Caroline asked, and Klaus nodded.

"We had it scheduled for Saturday originally, but she told me she'll try for Sunday instead due to the surprise press engagement. You don't have plans, do you?"

"I was going to go out with Bonnie, but I'll let her know I have an interview and she'll be too excited for gossip to care," Caroline said, trying to stay upbeat. She wasn't sure how to feel about an interview and photoshoot.

He studied her for a moment. "Is that all right? Honestly, I can tell Meredith to shove off."

She exhaled sharply, fiddling with her napkin. "No, it's fine. I just don't know what to expect, I guess. Is it an interview with like, both of us? Or just me?"

He gave her a grim smile, taking a sip of his water and setting it down. "Both of us, but I'll make sure they stay away from anything too personal."

She nodded, fiddling with her napkin before reaching out again to steal a bit of his food, and she froze as she heard the cameras begin to click again as soon as her fork sunk into his beef.

Klaus didn't seem to notice, or if he did he didn't comment, and she realized that it had never really hit her how famous he actually was. Seeing him on movie posters had been jarring, sure, and she'd seen him on the cover of magazines more than a few times, but the casualness with which he treated being watched twenty-four-seven was unnerving. She doubted she'd ever be able to get used to it.

She generally didn't mind being the center of attention, thrived on being the party hostess or the presenter in a boardroom, but she got to choose when she was exposed. Now she had to expect it every second, and it seemed exhausting.

"How do you do this?" she asked after she swallowed, setting her fork down and leaning back as a waiter came to clear their plates. Klaus waited until he left before responding.

"Do what, love?"

"Be okay with being stalked around all the time and getting your picture taken everywhere."

"It's part of the job. I knew that going in," he said, twirling his fork between his fingers and giving her a sympathetic glance, one of his rare unguarded expressions. "I know that you never wanted this, and I promise that the moment you're through with this I'll do everything in my power to keep you out of the press."

She swallowed, unable to meet his eyes. She'd thought that having her every move shadowed would really suck, and she'd been right, but the taste of what she and Klaus could have had if she hadn't missed her chance made her realize that she _did_ want him. A lot. Even if it meant having to deal with camera-wielding stalkers.

When she looked back at him he was watching her intently, concern clear in his expression. "All right?"

"It's fine," she said, giving him a small smile. "You're my best friend and I'm _totally_ happy to do it, okay? You don't need to worry about me."

It was odd, she could have sworn she saw his lips turn down just a bit when she'd said 'best friend', but she must have imagined it. His expression was back to the usual carefully blank slate. "You're sure?"

"Yeah! Anyway, let's talk about the photoshoot. What's that like? Are they going to make me wear different clothes? Do I do my makeup beforehand?"

"I think they'll just want fake candids from a visit to my apartment. Cuddling on the sofa, cooking, that sort of thing. I think you can wear whatever you like. Meredith told me to caution you to stay somewhere between church and streetwalker—"

She snorted. "Streetwalker? Whatever. I'll just put on a sweater."

He looked like he wanted to say something, his lips curling for just a moment into a wicked smirk, but seemed to think better of himself and took a sip of his water instead. "Whatever you like, love. As for makeup, they'll most likely airbrush everything anyway, so I don't think it matters all that much. I can ask?"

Caroline wrinkled her nose. She worked in marketing and wasn't a stranger to photo alterations, but she hated the idea of anyone doing it to her. "Just make sure that they don't like, erase my arm or something."

"I'll pass it along," he promised, his tone completely serious even though she'd been teasing.

"Okay. Any plans on what you're going to do when you're in LA? Other than the press event, I mean?"

"Not really. I should tell you that my mother has asked me to inform you that you're welcome at Thanksgiving should you wish to attend."

Caroline winced. She'd been trying to ignore that Klaus's family was super nosey and had opinions about everything, but it looked like their time avoiding it was up. Esther wasn't the type of person to take 'no' for an answer. 'Should you wish to attend' was a polite order more than anything. Caroline suspected that she and Klaus would have to have a serious talk to make their stories consistent, because Esther had some sort of superhuman ability to detect half-truths and weedle them out.

"Well, at least your mom will stop 'teasing' me about doing her a favor and taking Kol off her hands," Caroline muttered, taking a swig of wine.

Klaus's lips twitched. "That is a bright side."

"Ugh, the _only_ bright side. Your mom will never let it go that she found out from a magazine. Unless you told her?"

"I don't think I've ever called my mother or taken a phone call from my mother for any purpose that wasn't monetary or holiday-related," Klaus said grumpily. "So no, we're both in for quite the interrogation, I suspect."

"Well, at least Mikael's dead," Caroline said cheerfully, and Klaus nodded, the relief clear in his posture even after six years of freedom from _that_ mess.

"Indeed."

"Dessert?" the waiter interrupted with a smile. She'd been professional the whole evening and hadn't given a single indication that she knew who Klaus was, giving the meal at least a small shred of normalcy.

"Yes, please," Caroline said enthusiastically, taking the dessert menu offered to her.

"Just decaf for me, thank you," Klaus said, and Caroline grinned, poking him in the arm.

"Come on, a little ice cream _one time_ won't ruin your abs forever."

He seemed to debate it for a moment before taking the offered dessert menu and sighing. "You're a terrible influence, sweetheart."

"I know," Caroline said cheerfully. "We can split something if you want?"

Klaus's eyes flickered briefly to the photographer across the street before nodding. "Whatever you want, love."

"Sundae, please," Caroline said decisively after a quick glance.

"Peanuts and cherry?"

"Cherry on the side, please. He's a weirdo who doesn't like it."

The waitress grinned as Klaus gave her an exasperated glance. "It's perfectly normal. The cherry bleeds into everything else and then it all tastes like cough syrup."

"Clearly you've been eating the wrong cherries."

"I just don't understand why you'd take a perfectly good cherry and defile it by soaking it in chemicals."

The familiar bickering was comfortable, and as she lectured Klaus on how _clearly wrong_ he was, she completely forgot about the photographer clicking away capturing the moment.

The next day Bonnie texted her a link to an article with some of the photos, and when she saw the frozen picture of her laughing and the way Klaus was _looking_ at her, like he was memorizing her face, she felt irrationally protective of that private moment. She didn't want to share it, share _them,_ she realized. She wanted to keep that version of Klaus, the unguarded warm version of him that was uniquely _hers,_ all to herself. She wanted to laugh with him like that for the rest of her life.

She wondered, not for the first time, if she'd been too quick to dismiss the possibility that he still liked her, still wanted her. She wasn't sure she'd be able to take the plunge and ask. It was too risky.

Maybe by the end of this... _thing_ they were doing she'd be brave enough to ask whether they could go on _real_ dates, snuggle on couches away from cameras, order in and let the food get cold because they were too distracted by wandering hands and lips...

Maybe.

* * *

Please tell me what you thought of this chapter! Did you like Meredith and Klaus's conversation? The KC date? Any favorite lines or parts? Looking forward to the Mikaelson family dinner? Please let me know in a review! They keep me motivated and help me become a better writer.


	5. Upcoming Oscar Nominations: Your Guide

A/N: Thank you to Kelly, Laura & Colleen for beta work. This one gave me A LOT of trouble, so I'm sorry it took awhile, but hopefully updates will speed up from now on.

* * *

 _So I won't hesitate no more  
It cannot wait I'm sure_  
 _There's no need to complicate_  
 _Our time is short_  
 _This is our fate_  
 _I'm yours_

 _~ "I'm Yours" by Jason Mraz_

* * *

 _ **Upcoming Oscar Nominations: Your Guide**_

 _by Liam Davis_

 _Well, this is it, folks! We're close to closing out the year, and there have been an incredible amount of worthy movies and actors to honor at next year's Oscars. As I do every year, I'm going to give you a head start on preparing your Twitter rants and angry Facebook posts by predicting who will get the honors this year._

 _Beginning with Best Actor, there are two slots that are almost guaranteed: Two-time Oscar winner Lorenzo St. John for Handle With Care (also one of my favorites for Best Picture and Best Actress), and Kai Parker in Welcome to Paradise. Another more obvious guess is Klaus Mikaelson for his performance in 500 Years of Solitude. Other critics might disagree, but I'm almost never wrong, and I would bet good money on him being in the running, perhaps even winning himself his first Oscar after being nominated for Ordinary People two years ago..._

"Find your light, Caroline," Sarah said as she reached out to steer Klaus backwards slightly, her hand curling around his shoulder before nudging him a few inches to the left so that the light from his studio's window wasn't too blinding. He glanced at Caroline as he turned slightly to what he knew from experience would be a more flattering angle, trying not to grin when he saw that her eyes were squarely set on Sarah's hand, which had veered dangerously close to 'feeling up his bicep'. From the purse of her lips he could tell that she was trying her best not to scowl, and it was mostly working.

Mostly.

"Okay, get a little closer," Sarah ordered, waving at Caroline as she moved back a few steps, narrowly missing bumping into a table where he stored his paintbrushes. He barely restrained himself from spitting out a demand for the photographer to be more careful, trying to be mindful of their goal, which was for him to _not_ be a total asshole. "I want to have the natural light behind you."

Caroline took a step closer to him and he settled his palms on her hips, pulling her forward a bit more so that they were only inches apart. "Hands on my shoulders, sweetheart."

"What, are we supposed to be slow-dancing in the light of the window?" she asked dryly as she did as he suggested, and he laughed quietly, ignoring the persistent clicks of the camera as he leaned forward to press his forehead against hers. "How long do you think this will take?"

"I think they wanted four sets," he said quietly. "We've already done one, so we have this and two more. Most likely the backyard and something else."

"It had better not be your bedroom," she muttered, and Klaus tried desperately not to imagine her tangled in his sheets underneath him, flushed from his kisses, marks on her breasts from where he'd scraped teeth against skin. No, that was a vision meant for his eyes only if he had anything to say about it. His cock twitched and he cleared his throat.

"Doubtful."

She hummed, flinching when Sarah spoke again, breaking into their conversation. "Good. Your chemistry is really good. You're making it easy for me," she complimented, putting her camera back around her neck and reaching to physically position him again, turning him carefully to face them while the make-up artist who had tagged along with Sarah (Jerome? He couldn't recall) quickly touched up Caroline's makeup. He also came over to Klaus and swiped at his forehead with some sort of sponge, nodding at Sarah once Caroline's makeup that had rubbed off on him was sufficiently dealt with.

"Good. Arms around her waist from the back," Sarah ordered, clicking through some settings on her camera before setting it on a tripod.

He slipped his arms around her, pulling her close, unable to resist the urge to bury his nose in her hair and inhale the scent of her. She leaned back against him naturally, her hands resting on his wrists, and he tried not to show his irritation when Sarah told him to move a bit more so that his face would actually be in the picture.

"And move a little bit to the right, Caroline. Sorry, my right, your left."

Klaus tried not to groan as Caroline inadvertently ground back against him as she shifted, her breath catching when his cock twitched against her arse. "Sorry, love," he muttered, inwardly wincing, and he heard her laugh quietly, squeezing his wrists in reassurance.

"No worries. Remember the pool table?" she whispered, and he could hear the smirk in her voice, the memory from high school still annoyingly fresh ten years later.

"I do, indeed."

He'd once rescued her from a leering college boy in a bar who kept lingering despite her brushoff while Klaus had been getting drinks. They'd made a show of playing a game of pool together once he'd told the boy to fuck off. Caroline had giggled loudly and bent down so that he could help her make shots, rubbing up against him ostensibly by accident (though in retrospect he'd occasionally wondered whether it had been entirely on purpose), and he'd gotten half hard just from the feel of her body pressed against him, his hand closing over hers around the pool cue.

She'd teased him about it mercilessly for _weeks_ , even as he irritably defended himself that if you gave any dick enough friction it would react, which only egged her on more.

Luckily she seemed to have decided that now was not the time to tease him about it, but he still hoped that their shoot would be done as quickly as possible. The scent of her was intoxicating, the small huffs she made as Sarah continually told her to 'find her light' making him grin, and he couldn't help but notice how well she fit in his arms, how natural she felt pressed against him like this.

"Arch your back with your arms around his neck, Caroline. It'll give your torso a better shape."

It was definitely a coded phrase meaning 'it'll make your breasts more prominent' and he knew that Caroline was quite aware of it. He heard her growl under her breath, though she complied and leaned back against him as he tucked his thumbs into the belt loops of her jeans to help her balance, his fingers splayed along her hips. He felt her fingers absently start to toy with his hair, a soft sigh escaping her that made him wonder, not for the first time, what pretty sounds she'd make if she let him touch her when they were alone. He tried to fight down the thought. If he went down that particular rabbit hole he doubted he'd get make it through the photoshoot.

"Like this?"

"Perfect! Just ignore me and talk the way you normally would," Sarah encouraged, as though this was a position they'd normally be talking in.

They were both quiet, and he felt strangely lost as to what to say. Everything was always so natural with Caroline, so _easy_ , so being told to force it felt wrong. "How was the press thing yesterday?" Caroline asked after a few seconds of silence.

"Good. Long flight, but otherwise unremarkable."

"I can't believe they made you fly six hours both ways for a half-hour interview. Can't they just use Skype or something?"

He grinned at her indignation on his behalf; It was a sentiment she expressed often. He spent as much time in New York between projects as he could, but often press tours and events required him to utilize his LA apartment more than he'd like. Her exasperation with how much money and energy was wasted carting him back and forth across the country was always deeply satisfying. He liked the idea that she wished he was in New York more often, that he'd stay.

"Miss me?" he teased, and she huffed. He knew she was making a show of rolling her eyes and he smiled against her hair, pressing a soft kiss to it.

"I always miss you when you're gone," she said matter-of-factly, as though he should have known, as though it were obvious. The confirmation made warmth bloom in his chest, what he knew was a silly smile spreading on his face, and Sarah suddenly started clicking faster before it stopped abruptly.

"I think that's enough here," she said, sounding happy with the results as she tabbed through the camera to look at the pictures. "Let's move to the kitchen. Do you cook together?"

Caroline snorted derisively. "As if I'd let Klaus near a stove. He'd burn the city down."

"I'm not the one who burned salad, sweetheart."

"I just didn't realize the burner was still hot. Electric stoves are weird, okay?"

"You melted the bowl."

" _Partially_ melted. I noticed and rescued it before there was a fire."

Sarah cleared her throat from beside them, raising her eyebrows.

"Right. Sorry. I think we can manage pasta?" Caroline suggested, looking at him for confirmation, and he nodded.

"Actually, let's just do a few shots on the counter. We don't want any fires," Sarah said, moving her tripod to a better area and setting her camera on it. "Get up on the counter, Caroline. The window will give us a good natural light."

Klaus easily boosted her onto the granite countertop and stood between her legs, his hands on her hips. "How much longer?" she asked grumpily.

"I asked Mindy to make dinner reservations, so we'll escape by half five at the latest."

"It's still super weird that you have an assistant," Caroline whispered, bending forward so that he could hear her, and he pecked her on the lips, their noses brushing as he pulled away.

"I don't have a lot of time."

"If you have time to spend five hours with me for dinner and a broadway show then you have time to go grocery shopping."

"Technically our dates are work," he pointed out, his voice teasing. He'd expected her

to huff and poke him in the shoulder, muttering something characteristically witty, so he was surprised when her face fell, though she managed to wipe the look off her face after he took a sharp breath. His chest tightened as he hastened to reassure her, panicking that she'd taken him seriously. "You know I didn't mean it like that, Caroline," he whispered.

"It's fine. You're right," she said, their foreheads pressing together in a charade of the closeness that he suddenly felt had faded. "Only a few more months and you'll be back to bachelorhood."

"Caroline, I don't want you to feel like spending time with you is a chore, because there's truly no one else I'd rather be with," he said honestly.

She gave him a weak smile, and he couldn't resist bending forward to press his lips to hers, lingering for just a bit too long to savor the feel and taste of her. He knew it wasn't the right time to tell her that he had no intention of going back to bachelorhood anyway, that he wanted their relationship to be real, but he desperately wanted to. The words were on the tip of his tongue, but Sarah interrupted.

"Good," Sarah said, snapping a few more photos and pulling away to check the camera. "That's good. I think we're done. Let's just do a few in the backyard and then I'll let you get back to your day."

"Great," Caroline said with clearly forced cheer, sliding off the counter and smoothing her blouse. "Lead the way."

He took it as a good sign that she grabbed his hand, lacing their fingers together, but when he glanced at her she looked contemplative, almost disappointed.

"All right, love?"

She gave him a smile that didn't reach her eyes, squeezing his hand lightly. "Yeah. Totally fine."

"I didn't mean to-"

"Don't. Seriously. It's fine," she said, her tone making it clear that the conversation was over. He decided to drop it for now, but he made a mental note to never joke about something like that again. He wanted Caroline to have no doubts that he was waiting for her, that he _wanted_ her. He'd clearly dragged them a few steps backwards with his ill-thought-out words, and he was furious with himself.

Sarah directed them to a patch of grass right by his pool, the late afternoon sun still hot on his skin. He sat down as Sarah set up her camera and the make-up artist touched Caroline up, leaning back on his forearms and grinning as he watched Caroline wrinkle her nose and jerk back from the mascara wand as though she hadn't been expecting it to come in contact with her face.

"Sorry," he heard her mutter, holding perfectly still until the make-up artist said he was done.

She seemed to have lost her cheerful attitude she'd had earlier, looking a bit pensive as she came over to sit beside him, her arm brushing against his.

He had to fix this. Perhaps he could plan a night in with her, one where they could talk without anyone eavesdropping, where he could tell her how he felt, where there would be no doubt in her mind that his affection for her was still very much there when people weren't watching. He'd been trying his best to be patient, to refrain from pressuring her, but he wasn't sure he could wait anymore, not when he could fuck it up before he'd even told her how he felt.

"All right, love?" he asked, running his fingers through her hair.

He felt her head grow heavier against his legs, her shoulders dropping as she relaxed. "Yeah. Fine. You?"

"Very well, thank you."

She snorted at the formal answer, though he could see a small smile playing on her lips, the tension broken. "You're such a dork," she sighed, shifting up and back to get more comfortable.

He hummed, refusing to agree but knowing that if he argued she'd have at least five different examples to reinforce her point and the photographer would jump on _every single one_ , instead starting a conversation about a book she'd recently complained about on Twitter, trying to listen to her but somehow unable to stop thinking about a plan to confess his feelings for her.

He'd have to do it before he got busy with his new film, which started production the next day but wouldn't really pick up filming until the week after Thanksgiving, when they'd be at his mother's house. It would have to be the Sunday before the dinner then, he decided, mentally making plans.

The worst-case scenario was that he'd have a few weeks to lick his wounds before he got busy enough that he believably wouldn't have time to see her anyway, giving him a moment to figure out a way to salvage their friendship, but he doubted that would be the outcome.

He looked down at her as she settled on her back with her head in his lap, fiddling with the cuff of his henley as he twirled her hair between his fingers, his other hand resting on her thigh, a soft smile on her face, and it was all he could do to keep himself from confessing his feelings to her right now.

He knew that his fear that she'd look at him with wide horrified eyes and splutter out that they were supposed to ' _just be friends_ ' wasn't all that rational. Even before he'd asked her for her help, he'd had a feeling she'd be more than receptive to a real relationship if not for the publicity that would come with it. Now that she seemed to be handling the nuisance of public life perfectly well, he was almost positive that she would want a real relationship just as much as he did. ] He'd been dreaming of it for years, somehow wanting her more and more every moment he spent with her.

He'd waited almost two decades, and with his plan settled, another week wouldn't be too much of a sacrifice.

XXX

Caroline huffed as she heard Klaus's voice on the answering machine asking the caller to leave a detailed message and their callback number, pawing through her purse one-handed for her after-hours access card to her office as she raced through the lobby of her building.

"Klaus, it's me. I'm going to call you on your other line but I'm going to be at work late today. I'm so sorry. Rain check? Love you. Bye!"

She hung up, dialing Klaus's work line and swiping her card through the reader to call the elevator, holding the phone between her ear and shoulder as she repeatedly pushed the button to her floor.

"Klaus's line—"

"Hi Mindy, it's Caroline. I called his personal phone but it went straight to voicemail. Would you mind letting him know that I can't make it to dinner tonight? Last minute work thing."

"He's on set," Mindy said, and Caroline heard some conversation in the background.

"Yeah. I know. You put me on his Google Calendar when you first started, remember?" she reminded, trying not to be too short with the other girl. It wasn't Mindy's fault that Kimberly the Worst Intern Ever had fucking _tweeted an internal marketing memo_. She and Klaus had planned a night in, a rare break from publicly acting like a couple, where they could have a private conversation without worrying that someone would livetweet it. She couldn't wait to engage in a very serious rant about how Kimberly had _ruined everything_. "Let him know I will totally make it up to him later. I'll probably be able to get to his apartment by ten and we can watch a movie or something."

"Okay! I'll let him know as soon as he has a minute."

"Thanks!"

Caroline hung up and ran a hand through her hair, sighing. It was going to be a long evening.

Once she'd gotten off the phone with Pearl from Legal and helped Bonnie draft a statement it was almost ten o'clock, and she pulled on her winter hat and puffy coat to fend off the November chill (and bonus: help conceal her identity).

Shane, the head of marketing, had sent out a slightly passive-aggressive reminder email to the department about how questioning a coworker about their sex life or chosen partner was sexual harassment, and once Luka from HR had finally put his foot down with one of their coworkers––professional asshole Logan Fell––she barely ever got cornered and peppered with questions anymore. Unfortunately, the general public had no concept of privacy, and though being stopped was rare because she wasn't an actual celebrity, it happened often enough that she had purchased the most face-obscuring sunglasses and hat she could find. She'd gotten a text from Klaus about an hour after she'd left the message with Mindy saying that filming was running over as well and she should meet him on set, so she was a little disappointed that they would have to face more public scrutiny before they got their private night in.

When she finally arrived it was clear that they weren't even close to wrapping up, Klaus greeting her with a tight smile that she knew wasn't at all personal. From the way he was standing and the filthy look he shot at his co-star, who was getting her makeup touched up on the other side of the room, Caroline could tell that the scene wasn't working out the way he wanted.

"Should just be a few more takes if she knows what's good for her," Klaus murmured as soon as Caroline got close to give him a hug, pecking him on the lips before he spoke.

"Yeah? What's wrong with it?"

Klaus grimaced. "You'll see."

It seemed ominous, but Caroline helped herself to a day-old pastry from the snack table and a chair near the back, exchanging small talk with one of the make-up artists she recognized from a shoot that Saltzman & Sommers had done for their Black Friday campaign the year before.

She could tell from the large bed and closet that it was a sex scene, and she didn't bother to pretend not to drink in Klaus shirtless as he lounged on the bed waiting for filming to begin, his costar lingering outside the bedroom door.

She'd seen more than a few of Klaus's sex scenes, though she'd never been to one while it was being filmed, and she watched clinically as Hayley––playing his love interest––waltzed in like a queen with an awkward smirk, climbing into bed with him and reciting her lines in a dry, semi-accented monotone. She could tell Klaus was doing his best to connect with her, his palm ghosting over her shoulder as they spoke in low voices between soft kisses, but there was something off about his expression. It was a little weird, truth be told.

She knew she was biased, but critics agreed with her that Klaus was a fantastic actor, and she wondered whether he was just too tired to really connect. He had no trouble acting like he was in love with _her_ , after all.

In this case though, the affection was completely absent, the only clear expressions lust and a soft smirk as his eyes roved her body. It was almost awkward to watch paired with Hayley's attempts at sex appeal and awkward eye-fucking, and Caroline found herself looking anywhere but the bed.

"Jealous?" the make-up artist teased, and Caroline shook her head, wincing.

She might have been, deep down, if the scene had looked at all like it was supposed to, but even then she knew that Klaus was _hers_ , even if it was just platonic. He'd always put her first. She'd met Tatia once or twice and had liked her fine, the other girl clearly smart enough to realize that the Caroline Stamp of Approval was a necessary component to maintaining Klaus's interest, but his second famous girlfriend, Aurora de Martel, had been the _actual worst_. She was possessive and rude, never seemed to consider that Caroline might be a permanent fixture in Klaus's life, and hadn't bothered to hide her dislike of Caroline from him.

He'd broken up with her less than a week after Caroline had mentioned that they didn't get along, and she'd be lying if she said it hadn't been satisfying.

Hayley was just another costar, and judging by Klaus's clear contempt for her she'd have nothing to worry about even if they _were_ dating. Plus, she knew from Klaus's offhand complaints that the crew did occasionally gossip to magazines, especially the younger ones who didn't realize that it could jeopardize their careers if they were found out. She had no desire to start a feud with an actress who could easily end up doing an ad campaign with Saltzman and Sommers. Caroline was good at her job, always had her eye out for celebrities that might be good partners for them, and Hayley would be an excellent fit for their athletic wear. No good reason to burn that bridge.

It would also be rude to say what she really thought, but she kind of wanted to admit that she could see why it was taking them so long to shoot.

"It's just...I think they're having an off day," Caroline said diplomatically, and the make-up artist snorted softly.

"Yeah, I don't know if you know this, but word is they didn't do a screen test together before they got cast. The love interest was supposed to be Aurora de Martel, but she turned down the role after she found out that Klaus was doing it."

Caroline nodded, having heard about _that_ particular drama, and she tried her best to distract herself by interrogating the other girl about how best to spend the Sephora card Bonnie had gotten her for her birthday. It wasn't long before Klaus was done, the director having announced that they would try the shoot again later that week because it was clear that it wasn't going to go anywhere. He sounded grumpy, and she could tell that Klaus was just as irritated as he grabbed his jeans and henley from a nearby assistant and ducked into the dressing room to change.

In less than a minute he was dodging people to walk in her direction. He pulled Caroline into a deep kiss as soon as he managed to get over to her, his hands holding her hips firmly as he sucked her bottom lip into his mouth, her fingers winding into his hair. She squeaked in surprise when a sharp voice spoke from less than a foot away, her body flinching almost comically.

" _That's_ what that's supposed to look like," the director said before turning to call Hayley over. "Do that again."

Caroline knew her face was the color of a tomato, and Klaus seemed to sense how embarrassed she was, reaching to smooth her hair. "If Hayley can't understand how a simple kiss works between lovers I think that there are better remedies than being a voyeur as I greet my girlfriend," he growled, his hands still firmly positioned on Caroline's hips. "She's made us late enough for our date already. I won't be here until ten o'clock tomorrow at the earliest."

The finality with which Klaus spoke was kind of hot, his tone sending a shiver down her spine, but it was the way he looked at her after he finished that made her breath catch and her nipples pebble; it made all of the air rush out of her lungs. He either wasn't too tired to act, or that when he looked at her he wasn't acting at all.

"We should go," she said, a bit flushed and embarrassed at the breathless tone of her voice.

Klaus gave her a dimpled grin, offering his arm, which she took with a soft laugh. "As the lady wishes."

They'd barely gotten off set, walking through the deserted parking lot to the car where Tyler was waiting when her phone buzzed, and she pulled it out of her pocket, reading the email Pearl had just sent her. Her heart dropped, and she sighed, turning back to Klaus, who was watching her with a resigned grimace. "I have to head back to work," she said regretfully. "I'm so sorry. I was really excited to be able to spend time just the two of us."

"I know, love," he murmured, looking as disappointed as she felt, and she stood on her toes to give him a deep kiss, cupping his cheeks and grinning when he bent forward to peck her again as she pulled away. "Soon," he promised.

"Yeah, definitely."

"Good luck," he murmured, and she gave him a weak smile, kissing him again before hurrying back to the car and getting in, telling Tyler that she was headed back to the office.

It wasn't until she was in the elevator up to her floor that she realized that she'd kissed Klaus with no one around, that he'd responded enthusiastically, and had been disappointed when she pulled away.

 _Our dates are work_ , his voice reminded, the words rolling around her brain as they had been for days.

Yes, Klaus had always been a good actor, but even if he couldn't fake it with Hayley, it didn't mean that the way he looked at her, like he wanted nothing more than to take her home and make every single one of her sinful secret fantasies come true, was real. It was getting more and more difficult to convince herself that this... _thing_ that they were doing was fake, that he wasn't as invested as she was.

She wanted him enough that it was clouding her judgment, she decided. His feelings were long-gone. Unless he showed an interest, a _real_ one, there was no point in pining after him like a teenager.

She had to suck it up and get over this dumb crush before she did something stupid. Impulsively confessing her feelings at completely the wrong moment was totally something she'd do, and she couldn't let that happen.

 **XXX**

Klaus tried to keep in mind that murdering his irritatingly cheerful doorman wasn't good PR as he stalked past him to the elevators. He was in a foul mood, unsure whether he or Caroline hated Kimberly the Worst Intern Ever more. Yes, she'd made Caroline's life immeasurably more difficult, but she'd also ruined his plans for what he'd hoped would be his and Caroline's first night as a real couple. His nerves came rushing back at the thought, and he huffed, irritated with himself.

He poured himself a glass of bourbon and pulled out his personal phone to check the time, blinking when he saw that Caroline had left him a voicemail. She must have called him on his personal line before getting in touch with Mindy.

" _Klaus, it's me. I'm going to call you on your other line but I'm going to be at work late today. I'm so sorry. Rain check? Love you. Bye!"_

His breath caught, his head feeling light as he stared down at his phone. He dragged the recording back to listen again.

" _Love you. Bye!"_

He smiled.

* * *

Thank you for reading! I hope you liked it. Do you have a favorite part or line? Did you feel like the scenes flowed? Were they in-character? Any other concrit? Please let me know what you think! I'm so excited to hear it.

In theory we have three more chapters. We'll see if that sticks...


	6. Klaus: His Latest (or Last?) Fling

Thank you so much to Kelly for beta work! Some of you have been asking for some Mikaelson family interaction and reaction to the photoshoot, so here it is! Hope you enjoy.

* * *

 _My house my house is yours_  
 _So you can take your coat off_  
 _And you can close the door_  
 _My love's not going to run out_

 _~ "Always" by The Veronicas_

* * *

 _ **Klaus: His Latest (or Last?) Fling**_

 _ **by Elena Gilbert**_

 _He gives me a dimpled smile when he opens his door to the penthouse, what seems to be his general uniform of a henley and jeans contrasting with the casual opulence of the sitting room behind him, which is all dark polished wood and leather. The paintings on the walls all seem to be of the same style, and I remember that he's given interviews before where he admitted he's a bit of an art snob, and that he paints. When I glimpse a painting in the next room of a girl that looks suspiciously like his new girlfriend, I realize they might be his own work. Despite the heavy furniture there's plenty of space and natural light. He says Caroline's late (apparently a rarity), warns she's 'a bit of a chronic hugger' with a fond smile before offering me tea, tacking on the option of a few less-British beverages at the end, which almost seems like an afterthought._

 _I take him up on it and he returns in a few minutes with two steaming mugs and a can of sparkling juice, which he sets on the table beside his own tea mug. It's only moments later when I hear the key turn in the lock and the mysterious Caroline enters (she already has a key to his place, it seems), apologizing profusely for being late. Her smile is bright as she greets me with the promised warm hug, and it's not difficult to see why Klaus likes her so much as she immediately engages me in conversation about an article I wrote a few weeks ago, absently picking up coasters from the side table and slipping them under the mugs and seltzer can as she chatters enthusiastically. Klaus looks at her with clear fondness as she talks, reaching to wrap an arm around her waist as though he can't help but touch her._

 _Ladies, you heard it from me first: Klaus Mikaelson might be off the market for good._

 _It's only when I remind her that I'm there to talk about them that her face falters a bit, and she grimaces, sinking down on the couch. "Right," she says. "I forgot. I'm just kind of nervous. I've never done this before."_

 _Klaus sits down beside her and briefly squeezes her thigh before picking up his mug. She relaxes, and it's clear that the friendship they've reportedly had for years hasn't been overhyped, the silent glances they exchange for the rest of the interview when I ask questions on the more personal side showing how in sync they are._

 _He mostly sits quiet as she carries on a rapid conversation with me, only cutting in when I press on anything she's hesitant to answer and deflecting the question expertly. I wait until he excuses himself to take a call before getting to the good stuff._

" _So, you guys got together just after the text leak?" I ask. "How did you feel about that?"_

 _Caroline frowns, seeming to consider the question before she answers. "The texts obviously weren't his finest hour. I wasn't happy with the way he handled it and I know he regrets the way he did it. I actually came over to cheer him up, originally. Whenever something bad happens we meet up and get pasta. Anyway, we had a bit too much wine and, you know, romcom-style confessions ensued."_

" _How long have you had feelings for him?" I press, and she laughs._

" _Since I was sixteen. I haven't asked, but I think his started around the same time. The timing was just never right, you know?"_

 _I nod, and she smoothly changes the subject to their high school friendship..._

 **XXX**

"I must admit, Niklaus, I was surprised to learn of your relationship from a _magazine_ of all things. It was rather embarrassing when Debra from the ladies' church group came by with a casserole and asked about it. I was forced to admit that I didn't know much more than she did."

"We were trying to keep it quiet."

"And heaven knows the way to do that is to parade her around New York and maul each other like teenagers on a _public park bench_. I'm not surprised by your lack of discretion Niklaus, but Caroline's always been so sensible."

"Mother, can we get through ten minutes without discussing your favorite daughter?" Rebekah asked sharply, staring down at her phone as her thumbs flew across the screen.

"Now, Bekah, don't be silly. Freya's been offered a scholarship to Vanderbilt for her Masters'. Caroline's Mother's second-favorite," Kol said with a vicious smile, subtly moving closer to Rebekah on the couch to peer over her shoulder at her text conversation, and she immediately elbowed him in the side.

"Mum, tell Kol not to read my texts."

"Mother, I just want-"

"Kol, leave your sister alone," Esther said, cutting him off in the middle of his sentence. "Niklaus, do you know when Caroline will arrive? I would have thought you'd drive over together."

"She got held up at work and ended up stuck in holiday traffic," Klaus said, checking his phone to see if she'd texted her estimated arrival time yet. She hadn't.

"Work?" Esther asked, clearly scandalized. "On a _federal holiday?_ "

"Yes, I do declare, that is an absolute outrage," Kol cut in, banging his hand on the couch's side table dramatically, his other hand pressed to his chest. "It's so _unlike_ Caroline to want to work more than her normal hours. She's usually ever so lackadaisical when it comes to deadlines."

Elijah sighed from beside Klaus, eyeing the still-corked bottle of wine on the dining table through the doorway with clear longing.

"And really Nik, it's just so disrespectful. Mum even went out of her way to resist putting an air mattress in Bekah's room despite her delicate conservative soul."

"Thank god," Rebekah said, dragging out the words. "She's insufferable."

"Careful, Bekah," Klaus said softly, making sure his voice was laced with enough warning for her to huff and fall silent, ignoring what he was sure was Kol trying to bait him so that he could make a variety of creative sexual implications about his and Caroline's sleeping arrangements.

"I do wish Finn could have attended this year. It's a pity that his wife is so determined to spend the holidays with her parents," Esther said, giving Kol a sharp glance as his hand drifted towards the Xbox controller he'd been forced to abandon when Klaus and Elijah had arrived from the airport.

"I can't imagine why she'd want to avoid our family dinners," Elijah murmured, and Klaus couldn't fight back a chuckle.

He saw his phone light up out of the corner of his eye and checked the message. "Caroline's just pulled up at the first stoplight off the highway. She'll be here as soon as she can."

The key turned in the lock as he spoke and Rebekah perked up almost comically when Freya shouted that she'd had to park down the block and could Kol please refrain from parking his 'giant-ass Suburban' in her parking spot.

"It's not _your_ parking spot," Kol shouted back, not bothering to get up from the couch to exchange hugs. "This street is public property, you see."

Elijah caught Klaus's eye and they exchanged a long-suffering glance as Freya and Kol continued to bicker, and his phone lit up again.

[Caroline]: Just parked. Be there soon.

"Caroline?" Elijah asked, an eyebrow raised.

"Yes. She's just parked."

"I'll be pleased to see her."

"She's been busy with work," Klaus said, trying not to let the bitterness creep into his tone. Kimberly the Worst Intern Ever had managed to suck up a large portion of Caroline's week, leaving her unable to see him. He'd vaguely wondered whether it was possible that she was avoiding him, or if she'd realized what she'd confessed in her voicemail to him, but had written it off as unlikely. She'd seemed normal enough when she came to set, if a bit tired, and judging from the amount of texts she'd sent to him whining about work she had enough on her plate without him badgering her for some of her time.

"Yes, I'd gathered. She's not been free for brunch since you were photographed together."

Klaus grimaced at Elijah's slightly accusatory tone. He knew that they got together every now and then for brunch or coffee, but Elijah was notoriously good at ferreting out things he wasn't supposed to know. She was most likely worried she'd slip and divulge something she hadn't meant to. "Perhaps she knows that you're a gossip."

Elijah frowned, clearly offended, but the doorbell rang before he could respond. Freya turned around to open it, immediately pulling Caroline inside and giving her a warm hug. "It's so good to see you!"

Caroline hugged her back and they exchanged small talk about the drive as Caroline pulled her boots off. She and Freya had always gotten on well, luckily. Klaus walked over as Caroline and Rebekah eyed each other with barely-veiled distaste, looping an arm around her waist and kissing her lightly on the lips. "All right, love?"

She nodded, though she looked a bit peeved. "Just a long drive to seethe about the interns. Kimberly and Vincent have decided to date and I swear HR is going to—"

"Caroline! I'm so glad you could make it, dear."

Caroline's face dropped to a scowl for a brief moment before she rearranged it into a smile as she turned to greet his mother. Though he doubted she'd ever admit it, he knew Caroline had never quite forgiven Esther for not reporting Mikael to the police when they were teenagers.

"Thanks for inviting me! You know I could never miss a Mikaelson family holiday!"

"Oh, it's no trouble at all," Esther said. "Now that you've arrived we can start dinner."

"Excellent. I'm starving," Rebekah said grumpily.

Klaus gave Caroline his best commiserating glance, smiling slightly as she huffed, "I need wine. Like, _now_."

"Of course, sweetheart," he murmured, pressing his palm to the small of her back and walking to the dining room with her, still marveling at how natural the gesture felt.

Once they were seated, Klaus obligingly poured Caroline a glass of wine the second Elijah uncorked it. She gave him a small smile as she took the glass, taking a sip and leaning forward to listen intently to Kol's complaints about uni.

Elijah managed to pull Caroline into a side conversation about New York politics soon enough (he worked on Wall Street), and Klaus watched her face during her and Elijah's friendly debate rather than listening to Freya and Kol's bickering or Esther scolding Rebekah about her manners.

He loved the way Caroline's lips would press together when she was listening, the small smile and twitch of her shoulders when she was about to make what she clearly thought was an excellent point. He was entranced, unable to pay attention to anything other than the way her lips moved and the smirk she wore as Elijah reluctantly nodded along with her point, clearly able to sense that she was winning.

He swallowed as she laughed at Elijah's response, glancing at him to see if he'd caught the joke, and her face melted down into a smile that was softer. "You okay?" she asked quietly, reaching under the table to squeeze his hand.

"Yes, sweetheart."

She could clearly tell that something was on his mind, but she seemed to decide that it wasn't the time to press. She gave him a searching look before going back to her food, glancing at him again after a few seconds to give him an encouraging smile.

After she'd been called away on the evening he'd planned to do tell her how he felt, they'd both been so busy over the next week that he hadn't had time to attempt a do-over. He had never been a patient person, and he was itching to say it, the words feeling like they were constantly on the verge of coming out of his mouth whenever he was around her.

Impatient though he was, he also knew that he wasn't too late. Even if she hadn't let slip that she loved him during the voicemail, she wasn't exactly subtle with her interest. He'd seen her around enough of her crushes over the years to know that she was interested. She was displaying all the signs he'd loathed seeing her direct at other men. Unfortunately, Caroline had always been rather risk-averse, and he had a feeling that she'd spent an inordinate amount of energy in the past two months convincing herself that he was acting and that she shouldn't take the leap for fear of being rejected.

His mother's dinner table was not the time, nor the place, to tell her that he wanted her. Neither was his childhood bedroom. He'd have to wait, and if he couldn't manage to get her alone before he had to fly to New Zealand to film the rest of his upcoming project he'd have to wait until he returned at the end of February to see her face-to-face. By then it would be a few days before the Oscars.

He stabbed a piece of turkey with his fork, wondering whether he could talk to director into letting him fly back to New York for a weekend. It was definitely an option to consider.

"Seriously. Are you okay?" Caroline asked again, and he turned to look at her, inwardly wincing at the look on her face. "You look miserable."

"I could never be miserable when I'm with you," he said, glancing at Rebekah with a smirk when she choked on her water, making an exaggerated gagging sound.

Caroline gave him a suspicious look but reached for the bowl of green beans, spooning some onto her plate before offering them to him.

"If you say so."

The rest of dinner was for the most part uneventful other than Esther's continued attempts to get him and Caroline to talk more about how they'd gotten together and what their plans were. He excused himself to shower once Kol and Caroline monopolized the television for the American Football game, thankful for the escape. When he got back everyone was just as absorbed in the game as they were or clustered for small conversations around the room, the only exception being Freya, who was lounging on the couch flipping through a copy of a magazine. She looked up when he walked in, waving him over.

"These are so cute," she gushed, shoving the magazine under his nose and pointing at a photograph of Caroline with her head in his lap by the pool. It wasn't the first time he'd seen the article or photos, but he found himself staring nonetheless. She was smiling so widely, her eyes focused on his face, and he couldn't even bring himself to be irritated that he looked just as besotted.

"I know," he said finally when it became clear that Freya had expected a response, his sister answering with a small snort of derision.

"Well, it's about time you made it official," she said, flipping to the next page, which had a photograph of Caroline on his kitchen counter leaning in to kiss him, her eyes heavy-lidded. "I almost thought you'd given up on her getting it together."

"Caroline was just nervous about the publicity," Klaus said defensively, and he knew Freya had noticed it when her eyes snapped up to meet his.

"Well, I hope it works out. I always liked her."

He hummed in agreement, taking the magazine from her and staring at the final photo of them pressed together by the window.

They both looked so happy, more than he'd noticed at the time, and it only made him more convinced that he had to tell her as soon as he could.

 **XXX**

Caroline woke slowly, humming when she felt Klaus's arms tighten around her waist. Her eyes felt heavy as she opened them, taking in her surroundings. She'd been in Klaus's childhood bedroom what felt like a billion times, but it was still kind of weird to wake up in it. The walls had various posters of bands and soccer players (Klaus was a Manchester fan). Though the room had very few random knickknacks, she saw that he had a familiar picture on his bookshelf, a shot taken at her college graduation. Her memory of that moment was vivid. It was the last time she'd seen Klaus before he really had his big break. He'd agreed to take the photo so that Caroline's robe wouldn't droop down her arm, and when they were done he'd pressed it back into her hand, the touch lingering just a bit too long to be just friendly.

She'd nearly confessed her feelings to him in that moment, taking a deep breath and gathering her nerves, but they'd been interrupted by her mother fussing over her before she could get the words out.

She wondered what their life would be like if her mom had held off for another thirty seconds. Would they still be together? What would waking up in his arms every morning be like? She didn't know, but she wished she'd gotten to find out when she had the chance. She kind of hated herself for not having gotten up the nerve when she'd known he'd still liked her. She desperately wanted to turn around in his arms and wake him up with a kiss. It would probably be better to sneak out of bed before she gave into temptation. It wouldn't be hard—Klaus was a _really_ heavy sleeper.

Not yet though, she decided. It was fair to have some guiltless enjoyment from the sensation of being held by him before she started her day. She sighed, snuggling closer, and her eyes widened when she felt him hard against her ass. He groaned softly when she froze, mumbling her name and burying his nose in her hair, and she felt her cheeks heat.

The erection was probably just science's revenge against men, but muttering her name in his sleep?

Weird.

She carefully disentangled herself despite every inch of her wanting to stay, Klaus grumbling something as he reached to what had been her side of the bed before rolling back over, and she sighed in relief, bending over to grab some clothes from the small suitcase she'd brought and slipping out of the bedroom, flinching back when she saw Kol just outside the door.

"Sorry, darling. Didn't mean to..." he started, interrupting himself with a yawn.

"It's fine," she said quickly. "I'm going to use the shower before Bekah gets up and spitefully takes a five hour bath so that I'm forced to hang out with your mom."

Kol snorted. "Fair enough. So, when are you and Nik going to get together for real?"

She froze. "What do you mean for real?" she asked slowly. "We're dating."

Kol gave her a dubious look that seemed out of place. "Do your text conversations normally have things like 'I know we're fake dating but if your mum says one word about babies I'll start a literal food fight'?"

Caroline grabbed Kol's wrist and dragged him back into his room, shutting the door.

"First of all, stealing Klaus's phone is _rude_ ," she said harshly.

"It was for fact-finding blackmail research. I put it back where I found it. No harm done."

"Second, do not say a _fucking word_ ," Caroline hissed, ignoring Kol's excuse-slash-threat. "Klaus's career depends on this, and if you ruin this for him I will do an interview and tell the entire world adorable stories about me and Klaus's teenage friendship that involve you doing lots of mortifying things, only some of which will be true. Got it?"

Kol rolled his eyes. "I wouldn't tell anyone."

"Then why bring it up?"

"You make Nik happy, which, while disgusting, makes him less of a pain in the arse."

Caroline rolled her eyes. "We're friends. This is temporary."

"It's not nice to lie, Caroline."

"Whatever," she snapped, rolling her eyes and pulling her clothes closer to her chest. "Also clean your room. It smells like something died."

"Well, I've always said Nik had an Oedipus complex and you sounded enough like Mother that I might be ri—"

She shoved him as hard as she could and marched out of the room, resisting the urge to slam his door and wake up the neighborhood.

It would figure that the first Mikaelson who figured out that their relationship was fake was the absolute worst option. She knew she'd have to tell Klaus as soon as they got a few seconds alone together, and she wasn't looking forward to it. She huffed as she pulled a clean towel out of the cabinet and put her hair up, testing the water with her fingers before stepping in and humming at the feel of the hot water against her skin.

Kol was the _actual worst_ , but he also did care about Klaus, so hopefully he wouldn't do anything completely stupid. If he was trying to irritate her, she knew that dropping the subject and pretending what he'd said didn't bother her was the best way to make him stop. She'd already started making at least fifteen plans for worst case scenarios anyway, though. Kol knew exactly how to push her buttons, and she hated that it was working.

At least she wouldn't have to deal with Kol much in the future. After she and Klaus 'broke up' she doubted Esther would make it a point to invite her to family dinners or holidays, and wouldn't _that_ be a relief.

She tried–and failed–to silence the more honest voice in her head that had been growing louder and louder over the past few months that it wouldn't be a relief at all.

Ugh.

* * *

Thank you so much for reading! Did you enjoy the Mikaelson family dinner? Did you think it flowed well? Do they sound in-character? Are you mad at me for dragging this out? Favorite lines or moments? Other feedback? I'd love to hear your thoughts!


	7. How to Win Your Office Oscar Pool

Here is the penultimate chapter! Thank you to garglyswoof for beta work and candycolamorgan for cheering me on. You guys are amazing! This fic was originally for mon-amour-eternel on tumblr, and her prompt for this fic was "The Other Side" by Jason Derulo. We have now FINALLY reached the point to quote it. I hope you enjoy this!

* * *

 _Tonight we'll just get drunk  
Disturb the peace  
Let your love crash into me  
And then you'll bite your lip  
_ _Whisper and say:  
_ _We're going all the way_

 _~ The Other Side by Jason Derulo_

* * *

 _ **How to Win Your Office Oscar Pool**_

 _by Liam Davis_

 _If you're anything like me you've been eagerly watching every single movie that's been nominated hoping to win your office's Amazon gift card. As you might remember, I wrote an article back in late October about what the nominations might hold, and if you followed along you'll know I was right about all but one slot in all the major categories._

 _As the reigning champion at my own office for three years running I'm here to share my secrets of what to pick (just hope no one else at your office takes my advice as well, or you might have a tie on your hands):_

 _First, for Best Actor, you have two real contenders. Two-time Oscar winner Lorenzo St. John put on a good showing in Handle with Care and seems to be the consensus as the favorite to win, but Klaus Mikaelson might be more likely, in my humble opinion, for his nuanced performance in 500 Years of Solitude..._

"Relax, sweetheart," Klaus said from the hotel armchair, grinning as she chewed her lip, her gaze darting between the ten or so dresses hung in the closet before turning to him.

"I can't relax, Klaus. It's the _Oscars_."

"I'm aware, love."

"And you're up for best actor, so there will definitely be cameras on me. I don't want to embarass you," she said, her words coming out in a rush so that he couldn't inevitably cut in to tell her she wouldn't. "Which one do you think for the red carpet?"

He considered the question for a moment, his brow furrowed, and she watched him intently. "The blue one," he said after a few seconds, and she felt herself relax immediately.

"Good! That's the one I was leaning towards. What time do I have to be ready by?"

"The hair and makeup stylists Meredith hired for you will arrive in about half an hour, I think. I've been told firmly that I'm to make myself scarce for it so as to minimize distractions for you, so I'll be at the gym."

"Okay," Caroline said, taking a sip of her coffee and sinking back down on the bed. "I have to admit, having an assistant to get you coffee and food whenever you want is something I could get used to."

"It's a luxury I do enjoy, yes," he said, shooting her a dimpled grin, and she hummed.

"Well, I'll definitely enjoy it for as long as I can."

Something dark flashed across his face, but it melted off quickly, and he gave her another dimpled grin, promising he'd be back the second she let him know the makeup artist left before walking out the door.

She tried to relax until the stylist team came but it was a losing battle, her heart still beating fast and her hands still shaky in anticipation of where they're about to go. It felt like the knock on the door came much too soon, and she put on her best pageant smile to open it.

"Caroline!" the stylist squealed, her pointed manicure glinting in a way that viscerally reminded Caroline of fork tongs. "It's so good to meet you. I'm Genevieve and this is my makeup artist, Jeremy."

"We've met!" Caroline said, trying to sound cheerful as she gave Jeremy a quick hug. "He did my makeup for the photoshoot a few months ago."

"That's nice," Genevieve said, clearly impatient to get started. "Let's get you ready for the big day!"

She smiled and stood aside to let them in, already feeling shaky as everything hit her all at once. She was going to the _Oscars_. She'd gone to the premiere of Klaus's first movie ( _Our Town_ ), but that had been years ago, back when he'd just been starting out. She'd been a copy editor at the time, and she'd nervously approached Bonnie, who had been her boss back then, to ask if an employee discount at the store was part of the benefits despite her working at corporate. After confessing that she was going to a movie premiere and was _kinda freaking out_ , Bonnie had pulled a string or two to put Caroline in touch with one of the up-and-coming designers who had just started selling a ready-to-wear line at the store. She'd ended up with a beautiful designer dress at a large discount as long as she made sure to say who she was wearing to all the interviewers. She still had it in her closet and pulled it out for every party she went to, joking that she'd gotten on the _Katerina Petrova_ train before it was cool.

"Here are my options," Caroline said, opening the hotel closet and gesturing to the line of garment bags. "Red carpet on the left and afterparty on the right."

Genevieve flipped through them, brows furrowed. "Are these all Katerinas?"

"Yeah, why?"

"She's just a little...daring," Genevieve said, clearly trying to be diplomatic. "Not to be offensive, but you don't want to be too much of a risk-taker. They're provocative, and the last thing Klaus needs—"

"I think I know what Klaus needs," Caroline said, her tone sharp, though she tried to balance it out with a small smile when she realized she might have been a little harsh. "Kat's been my friend for years, and she's graciously offered to lend me pieces from her new collection. These are the options. I was leaning towards the blue one for the carpet, but I'm open to suggestions."

Genevieve had no suggestions, clearly realizing she'd overstepped. She pulled out the one Caroline had gestured to, giving it a cursory once-over before hanging them back up.

To be fair, Caroline partly agreed. The gowns were beautiful, but the dresses Katherine had sent over for the after-party were a lot more revealing than she'd anticipated. She had her own insecurities about her body, as everyone did, and while she knew Katherine had picked them out based on her best features, it was still intimidating.

"Did you eat today?"

"Just coffee," Caroline said slowly, frowning.

"Good. Don't. I'll get some almonds sent up for you."

Caroline bristled. "Um, no. I want real food."

"You can eat at the afterparty. It's what everyone else does," Genevieve said, her tone business-like as she pulled out a series of beauty tools from her duffel bag. Caroline was no stranger to beauty products—she had what was probably an embarrassing amount of unused lipstick stashed in her makeup bag—but Genevieve's equipment looked closer to torture devices than curlers. "Since you already picked out your dress, we have some extra time. Let's give you a hair mask and a quick manicure before we start out. If you're really hungry I can get honey-roasted almonds instead of the regular ones."

From the look on her face, it was clear that Genevieve thought she was making an extra-special allowance that deserved praise, and Caroline kind of wanted to murder her.

"Sounds good," Caroline said with a smile that she knew showed too many teeth and resolving to text Klaus later and tell him that he owed her _big_ for this.

 **XXX**

Klaus slid his arm around Caroline's waist, the smile directed at the flashing cameras coming more easily than it ever had before. They were soon hurried along by one of the people in charge of ushering the celebrities down the red carpet, and he glanced down at her to see her smile a little fixed. She was clearly overwhelmed, though in true Caroline form she wasn't giving a single hint. He doubted anyone else would have noticed the slight widening of her eyes.

"Thank you again for accompanying me, love," he said, bending down to whisper in her ear so that they wouldn't be overheard by reporters, and she shivered, turning just a bit. "Cold?"

"A little," she said, though the rush of the words made him suspect that the not-so-accidental brush of his lips against her ear was the likelier culprit. "But it's fine. We only have a few more minutes right?"

"Of the photographers. The outdoor lobby is next with all the reporters," he murmured. "Sorry, sweetheart."

"Turn a bit, Carol!" one of the photographers shouted, and Klaus fought down a laugh at the brief expression of irritation on Caroline's face before she turned to face the photographers again. He pressed a light kiss to her temple, partly for the cameras and partly because he wanted to, and when he glanced at her after a few more camera flashes, Caroline's smile looked just a bit more genuine.

The second they'd been ushered around the corner to the lobby where the interviewers were, he shrugged off his suit jacket and offered it to her.

"You can't do that. They won't see your dress," one of the floating assistants scolded, and Caroline shrugged it on anyway.

"I'm not getting interviewed and we did the pictures already," Caroline said, waiting until the assistant walked off and leaning up to whisper, "And it'll fool everyone into thinking you're considerate."

He chuckled, snaking his arm back around her waist. "Fair point. Is there anyone you'd like to meet? Lorenzo St. John, perhaps?"

He could see the faintest hint of a blush under her foundation at the mention of her teen celebrity crush, and she bumped his shoulder with hers. "Don't make fun of me!"

"I'm not. He's just over there."

He watched her carefully for a reaction, and she seemed to consider it before finally nodding. "Okay."

He hadn't expected her to agree, but he obligingly led her over. He and Enzo were friendly enough. They had done two films together and had gone out for drinks a few times by themselves, but Klaus had never gone out of his way to get together more. Perhaps a bit of it had been irrational jealousy of Caroline's interest in Enzo in their teens, but he was secure enough in her feelings for him now to know he had been ridiculous.

"Hey, mate," he greeted, shaking hands with Enzo and participating in the obligatory quick man-hug. "I don't know if you've met my girlfriend, Caroline?"

"I have not, which is clearly a pity. Hello, gorgeous," Enzo said with a wink.

"16-year-old me would be dying right now," Caroline admitted, and Enzo laughed.

"And twenty five-year-old you?"

She shot Klaus an amused smile as his arm reflexively tightened around her waist. "I don't plan on leaving this one anytime soon," she said, bumping him with her shoulder.

"Pity for me, but a wise choice," Enzo teased before turning to him with an easy grin. "I'll be in town for the next few weeks before _The Augustines_ starts shooting. D'you want to grab a drink before I go? You're welcome to come if you like, Caroline."

They made plans to go out a week later, Enzo promising he'd have his assistant call Mindy to make sure it ended up scheduled.

"It was nice to meet you, gorgeous," Enzo said when a reporter asked if he could ask 'just a few questions', and Caroline laughed quietly, turning to Klaus with a grin.

"That was fun! I'm glad he wasn't an asshole. I would have felt bad about tiny me creating elaborate wedding plans."

He hummed noncommittally, knowing that the jealousy building in his gut at the thought of her fantasizing about marrying another man _ten years ago_ was entirely ridiculous, but not quite knowing how to suppress it. He knew from experience that Caroline wouldn't appreciate the sentiment, but he'd always thought of her as _his_ , at least in a way, and he was self-aware enough to know that sharing was not one of his skills. Caroline had never taken well to his coldness towards her boyfriends, and though he'd managed to play it off as protective platonic concern, he'd always had a feeling that she saw right through it.

She shot him a grin and laced their fingers together, squeezing his hand. "I know you're very method but you can totally wipe the jealousy face off. Even if reporters were paying attention it's not cute."

"What if I really was?" he asked impulsively, and she raised her eyebrows, staring at him.

"Jealous?" she asked, frowning.

"Excuse me," an assistant interrupted, a clipboard in her hand. "We're starting to get everyone into the theater, so if you could just make your way to the doors—"

"We will. Thanks!" Caroline said quickly with a bright smile, looking almost relieved at the interruption.

He wasn't quite sure what to think about that.

 **XXX**

"And the Oscar goes to," Celeste said, opening the envelope. "Klaus Mikaelson for 500 Years of Solitude."

Caroline stood up clapping immediately, a beaming smile on her face. "I'm so proud of you," she whispered as she pulled him into a hug before marveling at how natural it felt for Klaus to press a deep kiss to her lips and squeeze her waist lightly before he walked down the aisle towards the stage. She vaguely heard the announcement that it was his second nomination and first win as he walked up the steps, and he kissed Celeste lightly on the cheek as he took his award before standing in front of the microphone, grinning.

"I'd like to thank the Academy," he began with a dimpled grin. "Along with everyone who worked on the film with me. Everyone was brilliant and I'm so grateful that I had such talented costars and crew to bring the movie to life."

Caroline tried not to roll her eyes. Not only did Klaus hate every single co-star he worked with, but he thought they were all talentless wastes of money.

"I'd also like to thank my siblings: Elijah, Kol, Henrik and Bekah for their unwavering support, and of course, Caroline, my beautiful girlfriend, who I couldn't have managed this without. The only thing I'm more thankful for than this honor is that you allowed me the chance to show you that we'd be better off as more than friends. I love you, sweetheart."

Caroline felt her cheeks heat, her heart skipping. It was all pretend, and she knew that, but Klaus was an excellent actor. It sounded so genuine. Had Meredith told him to say that? To broadcast his pretend love for her on national television?

The music indicating that Klaus needed to get a move on with his speech began playing over the speakers, and he was escorted off stage, circling back to his seat and edging through the row of celebrities to sit down, kissing her on the cheek. "That's the last award I have to be here for. D'you want to go?"

"We can do that?" she whispered back, her eyebrows raised.

He gestured around them at the crowd, which was significantly smaller than it had been earlier. She discreetly checked the time on her phone and nodded, ignoring Davina Claire's low grumble of annoyance when she had to stand up to let them through again. Klaus returned a few nods and murmured congratulations as he ushered her out the theater as quickly as he could considering her four inch heels. "I just have to do my press interview. Should take about five minutes at most. Tyler will bring the car around."

She nodded, whispering a quick 'good luck' and making her escape to the curb. She'd only just retrieved a bottle of water from the minifridge when it was snatched out of her hand by Genevieve, who stuck it back inside, closing the door with a loud click.

"Afterparty prep time!" she said, brandishing a blending sponge like a weapon. "If you're going to go with the dress you picked earlier, I suggest no eating or drinking."

"Great," Caroline muttered, obligingly tipping her head to let Genevieve touch up her foundation.

 **XXX**

She bit her lip when she saw Klaus's face as she emerged from the hotel room, holding her clutch tightly. His normally warm expression had been replaced with something resembling lust, his lips slightly parted, eyes raking up and down her body as though he wasn't sure where to look. "Is it too much?" she asked. "Genevieve mentioned it might be, but—"

Klaus cleared his throat, seeming to come back to himself. "It's...you look ravishing, sweetheart."

"It's just us. You don't have to stay in-character," she teased, hating how her voice wavered, and he shook his head, offering her his arm, which she took with a grin, trying to get used to the too-tall heels.

"I'm very method," Klaus reminded, giving her a smile that seemed a bit forced.

"That's true. It's how you won that Oscar, so I guess I can't judge too much."

He smiled more genuinely at the reminder, and she felt like she was bursting with second-hand pride. "Shall we, then?" he asked, and she leaned against him for a second, squeezing his arm lightly.

"We shall."

The ride to the party was short, and she wrinkled her nose as she walked into the venue, the music a bit louder than she was expecting. She knew that it wasn't one of the official network afterparties and was less formal, but they could have at least resisted the urge to try to turn a restaurant into a club.

"I'm starving," she whispered in his ear as they glanced around to try to find an empty booth. "Genevieve wouldn't let me eat, but she said there would be food."

He gave her an apologetic grimace. "They'll only have a few appetizers, I'm afraid. There should be waitstaff with—there's one over there," he said, beginning to take a step before shaking his head. "No, those are crab. As I recall, you're not a fan?"

Caroline wrinkled her nose. "There are so many ways it can go wrong."

He grinned, sliding an arm around her waist as he scanned the room, pointing out a waiter a few yards away. "That looks like chicken skewers."

"Sold!" Caroline said quickly, walking over and thanking the waiter as she plucked one off the tray, moaning as she took a bite.

"Do you want a drink? They have some fruity concoction I remember from last year. It was too sweet for me, but I think you'd like it."

"That would be great. I didn't realize how much energy it would take to be constantly aware that anything I was doing could end up on TV. I don't know how you do it all the time. Are you hungry too?"

"A bit. I ate before we left."

She huffed. "Lucky. I had a grand total of seven honey-roasted almonds. I'm surprised the microphones didn't pick up my stomach rumbling."

"Sorry, love," he said with a small smile that seemed off to her.

"You okay?"

"Just fine, sweetheart," he said, reaching to stroke her hair between his fingers and murmuring that he'd get her a drink and some more food and that she should sit down. He returned to the booth she'd found a few minutes later holding a mystery cocktail—he gave her a helpless shrug when she asked what was in it—with a skewered raspberry soaking up the booze. A few seconds later a catering waitress came by with two chicken skewers and a mini baked potato. "I told them you were hungry," he said quietly, and she thanked him with a fleeting smile and ate, chatting with him as he sipped his single glass of bourbon.

She was relieved that no one bothered them other than a few of Klaus's acquaintances coming over to say hello before wandering off again. She liked people, parties, and fancy dresses as much as the next person, but she hadn't been so exhausted from a party since college. It might have been different if she hadn't had the dark truth hanging in the back of her mind that it was all temporary. She had to keep reminding herself that this wouldn't last forever. It was hard not to get too used to Klaus's arm sliding around her waist possessively as the cameras flashed, and she knew the loss of it would hurt. The whole event was just a reminder of how no matter how much the fake-relationship they had felt real, it would soon be ripped away from her. She had tried not to show how upset she was—her mother had taught her better than to ruin someone else's special event—but she knew Klaus could tell that she wasn't enjoying herself.

Klaus obligingly brought her a third cocktail after a particularly awkward moment when Camille had approached to 'just say hi', giving Caroline a glare that would have made her heart stop if looks could kill. She could taste that he'd asked for the bartender to lighten the booze without her having to remind him, and he nodded distractedly when she thanked him. His eyes darted to her lips as she sucked the alcohol-saturated raspberry off the paper umbrella, but he looked away when he realized she saw.

"You okay?" she asked.

His jaw twitched, and he nodded. "Fine, love. I just... You're clearly miserable. I don't want to make you do this if you hate it so much. It's not worth it."

She frowned, her mind sluggish as she tried to figure out what exactly he was implying. "I'm not miserable."

"You hate this. The awards show and being constantly exposed. You do an excellent job of covering it up, but I can tell you're about ready to crawl out of your own skin half the time."

"Klaus," she started, her pronunciation of his name a bit slurred. "It's kind of uncomfortable, sure, but I'm seriously happy to help you."

"No. Your comfort is worth more to me than Meredith thinking I need a relationship, and no matter how much I want to be with you—"

It dawned on her as he spoke what he must be leading up to, and she blinked as she tried to fight back tears. "Wait, are you like, breaking up with me? Fake-breaking up, I mean?" she interrupted, hating that her voice was shaking so much.

"I...That's not the wording I'd pick, exactly, but this isn't fair to you. It was selfish to put my feelings before—"

"You're totally breaking up with me," she accused, realizing she was talking a bit too loudly but too tipsy to care. "At the _Oscars_? Seriously?"

"Caroline—"

She huffed, setting down her cocktail glass and grabbing his hands, lacing her fingers through his. Trying not to sound too exasperated when she spoke.

"I told you: I wouldn't be doing this if I didn't want to, you dork. I love you, Klaus. I'm not going anywhere."

His eyes widened, his lips parting slightly, and she saw his Adam's apple bob in his throat as he swallowed.

It was hard to think over the pulsing bass and chatter of other partygoers, her breathing growing quicker with each moment that crawled by as he stared at her.

She suddenly realized that she'd drunkenly blurted out a confession she could never take back. _God_ this was mortifying. He clearly didn't like her, didn't _want_ her the same way she wanted him, and she swallowed, trying to figure out a way to believably salvage the mess she'd created.

"Because... because you're my best friend."

* * *

Thank you so much for reading! Please let me know what you thought. Did you have a favorite line or scene? Did you like the red carpet? Did you enjoy their conversation with Enzo? Any constructive criticism? I treasure all the feedback I get, and it inspires me to keep writing and makes me a better writer, so please don't hesitate to give me your thoughts!

One more chapter left ;)


	8. Oscars Liveblog: Best Actor Goes To

So this chapter got too long and I had to split it in half... Thank you so much to Kelly for beta work!

* * *

 _People fall in love in mysterious ways  
_ _Maybe just the touch of a hand  
_ _Well me, I fall in love with you every single day  
_ _I just wanna tell you I am_

 _~ Thinking Out Loud (Ed Sheeran)_

* * *

 _OSCARS LIVEBLOG: KLAUS MIKAELSON WINS BEST ACTOR IN LONG-SHOT VOTE_

 _by Elena Gilbert_

 _Klaus Mikaelson won the coveted award for Best Actor at the Oscars just minutes ago. It definitely wasn't a decision that helped me in my Oscar pool, but I'm sure lots of people are excited right now that their unlikely guesses paid off!_

 _His girlfriend Caroline Forbes—a marketing director at Saltzman & Sommers—looked on as he accepted the award, and, as you can see in the video above of his acceptance speech, seemed as floored as we were when he confessed his love to her after only six months of dating. _

_To be fair, they've been best friends for years (you can find my exclusive interview with the couple in our October issue). However, it still seemed to be a surprise for Forbes, who seems to have done her best to stay largely out of the public eye..._

He stared at her for a few seconds, her words hanging in the air between them. She suddenly felt like meeting his eyes would make everything too much. A lump built in her throat, and she swallowed around it, staring down at her hands.

"Sweetheart," he began, his tone just a bit too _off_ to just be tired.

Disappointed, maybe?

"What?" she asked when he trailed off, her voice shaking slightly.

He didn't answer for a few seconds, and she looked up, frowning as she studied his face. She could tell from his expression that she'd somehow said the wrong thing. What had he been expecting? Sure, she'd never said those three words to him before, but she felt like they were explainable. Friends could love each other. It was a _thing_.

Klaus glanced away for a moment before turning back to look at her. It was the same expression that he wore when he was steeling himself for something that would _hurt_. She'd seen it rarely, most memorably when she'd told him that she'd decided to move out of state for college and when he'd had to leave her behind in New York for LA when he'd first started landing big roles. It didn't make sense in this context, him being disappointed that they were friends? That was just silly.

She saw his eyes flick down to her lips and back up again before he closed them as though reminding himself that he wasn't allowed to look. The expression sparked something in her brain, and the noise of the party around them seemed to melt away. She was hyperaware of her heart pounding in her chest, the adrenaline rushing through her body.

Her drunken brain began to flip through every interaction they'd had since they'd started fake dating. The way he'd looked at her when they were on set, how every time they'd been interrupted he'd been on the verge on saying something he was clearly nervous about admitting, how he touched her even in private when he didn't have to...

She'd been so deep in denial that she hadn't seen what was right in front of her face, and she nearly broke out into a disbelieving laugh at how she'd been so determined to be so _oblivious._

"Actually, no," she said, feeling a rush of confidence, of determination, and she looked him squarely in the eye. "I like you in a non-best-friend way."

"Pardon, love?"

"I like you," she repeated slowly, the words difficult to get out despite their truth, her heart pounding in her chest when he looked up at her as though he couldn't dare to believe what she said.

"Caroline..."

She wasn't sure if it was the booze or the excitement of how _hopeful_ he looked, but she felt light-headed and giddy at his expression. It told her she was making the right decision.

"I _like-like_ you," she pressed on, trying to keep her tone serious and even. "I like you like I don't want to just share a hotel bed for fake dating reasons. I want to share a real bed for real dating reasons."

She had truly surprised him now, she realized, as Klaus's mouth dropped open before clicking shut again, and he swallowed, reaching to grab her hand in his. "You're sure?"

She had never seen him look so blatantly emotional, his expression lingering somewhere between hope and disbelief.

"Obviously, or I wouldn't have said it."

"You're drunk," he pointed out, and she nodded, her fingers brushing over his wrist as she moved to fiddle with the cuff of his tux jacket. Her lips quirked at the way he twitched at the light touch, the flex of his fingers as though he longed to touch her himself, and she kept eye contact with him as she brushed the tip of her finger across his inner wrist, smiling slightly at his shiver.

"I am, but I won't be in a few hours, and I'll still feel this way then. I lo—"

"Luka Martin with the Whitmore Post. Time for a few questions, Klaus?" a reporter asked, popping up beside their table so suddenly that Caroline nearly screeched in surprise. Klaus reached over and grabbed the empty cocktail glass to keep her from knocking it over, setting it down on the other side of the table as he eyed the recording device the reporter was brandishing with clear distaste.

"Everyone needs to stop interrupting us," Caroline said sharply, and Luka looked a bit bewildered at her harsh reaction.

"That was off the record," Klaus said firmly.

"You can't retroactively—"

"I'll give you the first interview when I get cast in my next project."

"Done," Luka said immediately, switching off the recording app and making a show of deleting the file. "Greta says 'hi' by the way."

"Tell her to call Mindy if she has a message. Leave."

Luka rolled his eyes at the abrupt dismissal but wandered off as commanded, and Klaus glanced back at Caroline. "We should go back to the hotel, sweetheart."

"Before I accidentally get us more bad press you mean?" she asked, only half-teasing. The look he gave her in return was hungry and heated, and his eyes settled on her lips without reluctance, as though he'd finally given himself permission to stare.

"No. I've simply had enough interruptions," he said, sliding out of the booth and helping her stand, wrapping his arms around her tightly to pull her close, their lips barely an inch apart. "I have been waiting for this moment for so long, Caroline. I don't want to share it with nosy photographers."

She nodded eagerly, not all that excited to have an important conversation about what she hoped would be their new real-life relationship with a peanut gallery. As much as she couldn't wait to touch him, she also wanted it to be just the two of them when she did. They'd already had to have so many milestones in public that she knew she'd regret having this conversation when they weren't alone. "Limo has a privacy screen, right?"

He gave her a wicked grin, and she flushed when she realized what that had sounded like. "To talk," she added, giving him a chastising look. He didn't seem bothered, just pushing through the crowd with his arm tightly around her waist to keep her close. She leaned into him, partly to keep herself from stumbling and partly because a small part of her was worried that as soon as they were away from the crowd he'd let her go. She was reassured by the glances he couldn't seem to resist sending her every few seconds, the way he ignored people congratulating him as they made their way to the entrance other than a few absently muttered 'thank you's in favor of drinking her in.

"You need water," Klaus said as soon as Tyler had shut the door of the limo behind them, pulling a bottle from the minifridge and uncapping it for her.

"Thanks," she said, taking a few sips and handing it back to him so that she didn't spill it on her dress before hitting the button for the privacy screen. The seconds seemed to crawl by as she waited for the screen to rise, her body shifting with anticipation until it was finally in place. "Seriously though. I love you."

"Caroline, I—"

"Let me finish," she said, the leather seats of the limo squeaking as she shifted to face him more fully. "I've liked you since forever. It sucks because I keep wanting to say it and then I get scared because you're clearly a good actor, like you won a frigging _Oscar_ less than six hours ago, and it's like...what if you don't love me? What if this pretend-dating is actually pretend? Because I feel like it never really was. I feel like this was an excuse for both of us. I've wanted to kiss you for years, and that park bench kiss...It felt so _real_ you know? I thought you wanted to kiss me too."

"I do, Caroline," he said softly, and she laughed, the sound bitter and hoarse from the booze, her hands shaking.

"Then why didn't you say anything?"

"I've been trying to. For weeks, actually. But it's not as though you couldn't have said something yourself. Why didn't you?"

"Because you can have anyone," she said, forcing herself to hold his gaze, needing to see his reaction. "You've dated Tatia Petrova and Camille O'Connell and Aurora de Martel. I didn't want to embarrass myself or lose you because you wanted someone else. You have so many choices, and I wanted you to choose me."

He seemed stunned by that, unsure what to say, and she was about to break the silence when he swallowed and spoke, his eyelids fluttering like he was trying to calm himself down. "I have never wanted anyone the way I want you, Caroline."

"Promise?" she asked, hating how small her voice was, how much it shook.

"I love _you_ , Caroline," he said, and she could see him smile in the low light of the limo when her breath caught at the words. "I honestly thought you didn't want this, being in the public eye. I thought you'd decided a long time ago that I wasn't worth the trouble. Once I got the voicemail—"

"Voicemail?"

He stuck his hand into his jacket pocket, pulling out his phone and turning up the volume. He watched her intently as she listened to her own voice, recognizing the rushed words at the beginning.

" _Klaus, it's me. I'm going to call you on your other line but I'm going to be at work late today. I'm so sorry. Rain check? Love you. Bye!"_

She felt her cheeks heat, her teeth sinking into her lower lip. She was kind of embarrassed, but she could admit it was satisfying to know that Klaus had clearly held on to the recording for months, had apparently listened to it more than once just to hear her say it.

"Then I was sure," he finished. "As I said, I planned on telling you, but it never seemed like the right time."

"And so you tried to break up with me?" she pointed out, trying not to sound too accusatory, and he let out a soft hum, sliding his arm around her shoulders to pull her close. She let her head fall comfortably onto his shoulder, breathing in the light scent of his cologne and trying to get a bit more of his body heat to make up for the aggressively air conditioned car and how little her dress covered.

"You were so determined to bury yourself in denial. I could see the trappings of fame were making you unhappy, and I never wanted to be the cause of your unhappiness."

"Klaus, I knew what I was getting into, okay? And I know even better now. I want you, Klaus. Even if it means going to premieres in pretty dresses after eating a grand total of seven almonds."

He laughed, a true one that made her smile. "You're rather hung up on the almonds, don't you think?"

"I am _hungry_ ," she emphasized. "How do you think I got wasted so fast?"

"You're a lightweight regardless," he pointed out, drawing circles on her bare shoulder and flipping his phone around between his fingers. "I'll have words with Genevieve for next time."

She felt her heart swell at his casual reference to the future, her imagination conjuring up visions of red carpets she'd walk down with him, surprising him on set again and getting to feel like she was _supposed_ to be there to see him, taking him to her dumb company Christmas party... It look a second to pull herself back to the present to realize Klaus was saying her name, clearly amused at how she'd spaced out.

"Sorry, what?" she asked, sitting up a bit more to look at him.

"Do you want to have some food delivered to the hotel room? I know a pasta place nearby."

"Is it as good as _Salvatore's_?" Caroline asked suspiciously.

"Nothing is," Klaus said, dialing a number. She watched his face as he ordered Mindy to get take-out delivered to the hotel room, noted the lack of tension in his shoulders and the ease of his smile when he noticed her staring, how much more relaxed he seemed than earlier that evening. "Should be there when we get back. Half an hour after we arrive at the latest."

"Good," she said, giving into the temptation to touch him and shifting to sling her leg over his lap. He looked surprised at her forwardness, though it was only for a brief second. His hands quickly settled on her bare thighs below the hem of the dress, and it was gratifying to see him drinking in her face as though committing her expression to memory.

His tie was smooth between her fingers when she reached to fiddle with it, admiring the softness of the silk and trying to resist the urge to undo it, to begin to give into what they both so clearly wanted.

"Kiss me," she breathed.

"What?"

"Kiss me," she repeated. "A real kiss. Well, the other kisses were real. An _official_ kiss."

He looked tempted, his eyes darting down to her lips before meeting her eyes again, his nails briefly digging into her thighs, the sting making her breath catch. "Later," he said firmly, the tone combined with his hungry expression sending a shiver down her spine that definitely wasn't from cold, her nipples aching as they pebbled. "I want us both to be completely sober, and I want you all to myself. I've made so many plans, sweetheart. Spun fantasy after fantasy of all the ways I'd touch you. I intend to make you moan for me, to scream my name and grasp at the bedsheets. Privacy screens only muffle so much. I want the lovely sounds you make to be just for me."

She felt her mouth go dry at the promise, and her tongue darted over her lips to wet them. "We can't be really quiet and have round two in the bed?"

It was odd that she didn't feel the least bit self-conscious trying to tempt him, and the absence of her usual worries that she might seem desperate hit her with a rush. The way he was looking at her, how comfortable she was in a position that was so compromising, all of it made her bolder. It felt good to see him swallow in the low light of the limo, his Adam's apple bobbing in his throat.

"I've waited so long, Caroline. When I finally get to peel off that pretty dress and touch your skin, I want to take in every beautiful inch of you spread out for me. I want to remember every shift in your expression as I bring you to the edge, watching the way you quiver as you come around my fingers, cock, or tongue."

Her thighs clenched at the thickness of his tone, her pussy already throbbing. She knew that she was wet, and from the slight heaviness of Klaus's breathing in her ear and the way he shifted underneath her she suspected that she wasn't the only one who was having difficulty reining in their patience. "You're mean," she accused, burying her face in his neck and rolling her hips against him to find at least some semblance of friction.

He snorted, the puff of air against her neck making her skin prickle, her breath catching. "I promise I'll make it up to you," he said. She could tell he was going for teasing, but his tone was thick with lust, and she spread her legs a bit more when his hand pressed down on her thigh.

"Klaus..." she breathed, shifting forward slightly and tensing as he traced her inner thigh with his fingertips. She moaned when his phone vibrated in his pocket, swearing when he pulled it out to check the text, his fingers brushing just out of reach of where she wanted them.

"Who do I have to murder?" she grumbled, and Klaus laughed quietly.

"Meredith, but we've nearly arrived anyway," he murmured, sounding genuinely regretful. "If it's any consolation you might have convinced me given another half a minute or so."

She hummed, pressing a soft kiss to his neck. "We can just park?"

She heard him chuckle but he didn't answer, his other hand traced slowly up her spine to fiddle with the ends of her hair like it was the most natural thing in the world. "Bed."

She had sobered up enough to walk straight once he helped her out of the car, especially when he offered to carry her heels (she'd turned down him carrying _her—_ she wasn't sure she'd survive), and it wasn't long before they made it to the hotel room. She busied herself unwrapping the takeout that had been waiting for them on the desk by the window, and she turned when she heard the rustle of clothing behind her to see Klaus toss his suit jacket away, his eyes fixed on her. The anticipation she felt as he approached her was almost too much, and she felt like she was rooted to the floor even though all she wanted to do was grab him and pull him over to her, to touch him as soon as possible. She couldn't wait to feel his hands on her, was greedy for his touch and the heat of his skin against hers. She'd fantasized about it for so long.

He'd been an unapologetic villain in a few of his movies, and critics had often noted his tendency to invade the other actors' personal space, the way he stood and moved intimidating enough to make any height difference negligible. The way he closed in on her felt similar, but she felt empowered rather than intimidated, the clear hunger in his eyes deliciously different from the affection that was usually present. Her fingers closed around the edge of the desk to steady her. She sucked in a sharp breath when his palms settled on her hips to still her from seeking friction when he pressed himself against her, the feel of him so close better than she ever could have imagined.

He moved forward slightly, and she could feel his breath on her lips as he hovered there, just centimeters away. Anticipation was thrumming through her, her need for him to just _kiss her already_ almost overwhelming. Klaus had always read her well though, and as soon as her eyes closed and her head tilted back, she felt his lips press against hers.

The kiss was gentle, slow, but all of the years of waiting for this, for him, made even just the gentle drag of his teeth along her lower lip cause her entire body to shake. The electric charge of it pulsed through every inch of her, her heart beating fast in her chest. She was embarrassingly breathless when she pulled away, unable to pull her eyes from Klaus's heated gaze, almost hypnotized by it.

"Excellent first official kiss," she breathed, trying to keep her tone even.

"I'm glad it lived up to expectations."

She grinned when he leaned forward to kiss her again, meeting him in the middle eagerly and wrapping her arms around his shoulders, craving more of him in any way she could get.

He lifted her onto the desk easily, and she vaguely heard the takeout box fall to the carpet when she spread her thighs for his hand, but couldn't find it in herself to care, the distraction of Klaus's hands on her body making her mind go blank. She heard him make a soft groan of annoyance when he hit the strong plastic-lined fabric of her spanx, his fingers pressing her clit through the fabric as he watched her intently, enraptured by her soft moan and the roll of her hips against his hand.

She'd never felt so sexy, and she knew she was already hooked on the high of how he looked at her, on how wanted and _loved_ he made her feel.

She pushed him away and slipped off the desk, turning around on weak knees. She heard his breath catch as she lifting up her hair, her entire body shaking with anticipation.

"Unzip me."

* * *

Thank you so much for reading! I hope you enjoyed it (and don't hate me too much for the cliffhanger). What did you think about Caroline's confession? Any favorite quotes or parts? Was the flow okay? Did it feel in character? Please don't hesitate to give me feedback! It's how I become a better writer and stay motivated.

The second half of this chapter will hopefully come soon. Please let me know if you'd be interested in an epilogue as well.


	9. After-Party

I hope you guys like how this wrapped up! Thank you so much to Kelly for beta work. This is like... sixty percent smut, so if you're not here for that, you should be fine by about halfway through the chapter.

* * *

 _Call your name into my bedpost  
_ ' _Cause I don't want you like a best friend  
_ _Only bought this dress so you could take it off  
_ _Take it off..._

 _~ Dress by Taylor Swift_

* * *

A shiver went down her spine as his knuckles brushed against it, the sleeves of her dress slipping down to give him room to kiss the soft skin of her shoulder. She couldn't help but tip her head to the side to encourage him, leaning into the touch of his hand resting gently on her hip.

"Thanks," she said, missing the warmth of him against her back as soon as he let her go. She heard the rustle of fabric behind her as she went to wriggle out of the dress and kick off her spanx and thong, not paying attention to where anything landed but vaguely registering the sound of something else falling off the desk nearby. As soon as she turned to face Klaus, her mouth went dry, her mind blanking as she gave him a slow once over. His abs twitched as he took her in just as greedily, and she bit her lip when she saw that he was already hard, his cock leaking precum.

She'd seen him mostly naked before, their constant "sharing a bed" situations having necessitated it, but there was something about that last barrier being broken that made everything different.

"Sorry, sweetheart," he said, clearly taking her flush for discomfort and averting his eyes.

"You can look. I don't mind. That's kind of the point of not fake dating."

He smiled slightly, glancing at her for another slow once-over as she walked to sit on the bed before meeting her eyes. "A perk to be sure, but certainly not the point, sweetheart."

She felt a bit silly for the giddy rush that shot through her. "One of the points," she amended, falling back on the bed and turning to look at him, every insecurity she had disappearing when she saw how he was staring. "So, I remember you making a promise to me in the limo?"

Klaus was kissing her again as soon as she'd finished her sentence, pushing her more fully on her back and hovering above her, balanced on one elbow.

"I did indeed," he murmured against her lips between kisses, tugging her lower lip between his teeth before pulling back and brushing her hair out of her face. "You're beautiful like this, sweetheart. Flushed and breathless. Shaking with anticipation...I've imagined this for so long. You have no idea how often I've craved the liberty to drag you into a coat closet and make you moan so loudly that the whole event would know what I was doing to you. And tonight..."

"Tonight?" she prodded when he trailed off, his eyes dark, body tense.

He groaned, his forehead falling onto her shoulder. "Christ, Caroline. That dress..."

"What about it?" she asked, trying not to sound too smug and totally failing.

"I wanted to peel it off of you the second I saw it."

"I mean, I'm pretty sure Kat picked all of my afterparty options out _specifically_ for that reason, so..."

He grinned, watching her shudder when his thumb brushed her hipbone. "Well she certainly succeeded. If I'd managed to tell you of my feelings for you sooner..."

She raised an eyebrow. "What?"

He gave her a wicked grin that made anticipation build in her stomach, her toes curling just from the promise of it. "We wouldn't have made it to the afterparty, most likely not even to the elevator."

"Another time," she promised. "Pretty sure Kat will let me borrow it again for a special occasion or two. You might even be able to buy it off of her."

"I'll call her tomorrow afternoon," he said between kisses before pulling back to look at her. "I do think I prefer you in nothing, however."

"Probably not in public," she teased, breathing in sharply when Klaus's nail trailed along the undercurve of her breast. "Fuck."

"No. I want this version of you all to myself."

"Yeah?" she asked with a raised eyebrow, smirking and dragging her fingertips across his abs, her knuckles brushing against the head of his cock. She couldn't help but feel satisfied at his groan. "You like that?"

"Yes," he said easily, though she could see how turned on he was by the way his shoulders tensed. "But I think I'd like to touch you even more. To taste you."

"Thought about it a lot?"

"All the time."

"What else have you thought about?"

She was so _curious_. Wanted to know all of the things he wanted to do to her, whether he had the same desires as the ones she'd stirred up alone in her bed.

"You want to know my fantasies, then? The things I've dreamed of doing to you?"

"Yes. You're apparently really good at dirty talk and it's hot."

The wolfish smile that grew on his face bordered on the most delicious kind of predatory, made her feel desired and beautiful and _sexy_ , and she moaned as he traced the bare skin of her stomach, his movements torturously slow as his hand moved frustratingly close to where she wanted it but not quite getting there. "Do you want to hear about how much I've wanted to take you just before we leave the hotel room for an event? To bring you to the parties well-fucked and flushed, your thighs still slick? Sometimes you're wearing one of your delightfully short dresses and I come on your stomach or breasts instead, escort you past the press as they photograph you, all of them completely unaware that if the fabric slipped just an inch they'd know exactly how we spent our afternoon."

"Oh my god," she breathed, her eyes closing as he stroked her inner thigh, his touch torturously close to where she wanted it.

"May I?" he asked, and she nodded eagerly, spreading her legs a bit more to let his fingers brush against her pussy, her breath catching at his groan when he found her slick. "Fuck, sweetheart."

"Klaus..." she breathed, rolling her hips against his fingers.

"That's right, love," he whispered, slipping two fingers inside her and curling them against her walls. He had her quivering against him in moments, her fingers winding into the hotel sheets, her entire body shaking when he pressed his thumb against her clit. She came hard, Klaus drawing out her orgasm with slight movements of his fingers, his eyes never leaving her face, watching her as though committing her reactions to memory.

She knew she must look like a mess, her skin damp and her hair mussed, eyes heavy-lidded and glazed with pleasure, but she didn't feel even slightly self-conscious. All she could think about was how much she wanted him to look just as drunk on her touch as she was on his.

"Sit up," she ordered, pushing herself up on her elbows and watching him as he moved. Everything about it seemed new. She'd seen the way his shoulders rolled as he leaned back against the headboard before, had fantasized extensively about running her tongue along the angles and crevices of his abs and chest, of kissing her way down his tattoo. It was hard to believe that she could do it now, that he clearly would like nothing better. She'd been denying herself the feel of his skin sliding against hers and the warmth of his chest against her bare back. It seemed ridiculous to waste another moment, but now that she had the opportunity she didn't know what she wanted to do first.

"Caroline," he prodded with a smirk, clearly smug about how distracted she was by looking at him, but she didn't mind him knowing how much she wanted him, not when she'd been waiting so long for him to know.

"I want to look at you," she admitted, pushing herself up more fully and moving over to sling a leg over his lap, satisfied by his low groan when his cock pressed against her lower belly. "I want to see your face when you come in me."

He took in a sharp breath when she reached between them to wrap her hand around his cock, her thumb swiping over the head, grinning when his lips parted slightly and his head fell back against the headboard. "I won't last long like this," he warned, reaching between them to grab her wrist. "Sit up on your knees, sweetheart."

She positioned him at her entrance, keeping eye contact as she sunk onto him, the feel of him filling her better than she ever could have imagined.

"All right?" he asked, his voice slightly hoarse, and she nodded, unsure whether she'd be able to form actual words if she tried to talk, rolling her hips instead and noting the way his abs tensed underneath her fingers.

"Perfect," she managed, leaning in to kiss him, curling her fingers through his hair. She found a slow rhythm as she rocked against him, her head tipping back when he gently tugged her hair, taking the hint to allow him to press open-mouthed kisses against her neck.

Her high built quickly, and he seemed to notice the change in her breathing and the sounds she made, reaching between them to rub her clit. He pulled away to look at her, his eyes glittering as he drank in every tiny reaction to his touch.

"Yeah," she gasped out, moving faster, her body shaking as she let her forehead fall against his.

"Come for me, sweetheart. I need..." he trailed off, swearing when she moaned his name, his hips jerking.

"Need what?" she breathed, sitting up and groaning at the new angle.

She had a suspicion about what would get him off, had seen the way his jaw tensed and his eyes flashed when she'd told him how much she wanted him earlier, and she smirked when he glared at her with dark eyes and flushed cheeks.

"Caroline," he warned, his hand moving down to rest on her ass and squeezing lightly.

"Want me to tell you how much I like it? Having you inside of me?" she asked, satisfied when he groaned low in his throat. "You feel so good, Klaus. You have no idea how much I wanted you. I touched myself all the time thinking about you, about how you'd make me come..."

She liked seeing him fall apart for her like this. The way his eyes were glued to her mouth as she talked, clearly hanging on every filthy word that she spoke was addictive. It was so different than any sex scene he'd done on screen, the hunger in his eyes specifically for her.

"I'd rub my clit and moan your name," she continued, her voice slightly hoarse, breathing ragged. "I use toys sometimes and I always pretend it's your cock inside of me."

He groaned her name into her shoulder when he came, his nails digging into her ass, the sting of it tipping her over the edge as well. "You like it when I talk," she teased, bending to kiss him softly, her body still quivering from aftershocks.

He swallowed what she suspected was a joke about her loving the sound of her own voice—the pot calling the kettle black, in her opinion—and looked at her for a drawn-out moment, making her breath catch. "I love you," he said as he stroked her hair.

"Love you too."

Saying it out loud felt amazing, like a weight had been removed from her chest. She couldn't help but smile at him, knowing she should probably move but too comfortable pressed against him to go through with it. She was relieved when he pulled her closer and tipped his head to the side so that she could lay her cheek on his shoulder, clearly as hungry for her touch as she was for his.

They lingered there for a few minutes in comfortable silence, letting their harsh breathing and racing heartbeats calm. She pressed a line of soft kisses to his tattoo, satisfied at his low groan when she nipped at one of the birds by his shoulder. She could feel him half-hard against her thigh again, but she wasn't in any hurry, wanted to savor every touch she could before they had to venture out of the hotel room again and face reality.

Her stomach had other ideas though, and she felt her cheeks burn when it gave an audible rumble.

"We should eat," he said quietly, his hand stroking her spine, though he didn't move at all. "I believe our pasta was a casualty of our enthusiasm—"

"A big sacrifice, but I have zero regrets," she mumbled against his shoulder.

"I don't either," he said, and she could hear the smile in his voice. "But room service? I don't want you distracted."

She hummed, pushing herself off of him. "Sure. I need to clean up and shower."

The way his eyes lit up was almost funny, and she suppressed a smile as she slid out of bed. "You can come if you want, but I'd rather be quick and then test out the table," she said, bending to grab one of his henleys and a pair of underwear from their suitcases.

"We do have limited time, I suppose. I've spent so long thinking of all the ways I'd pull confessions from your lips, and I want to try every single one before we go home," he said, his tone so determinedly casual that it could have been a throwaway line if she didn't know him so well.

She stilled, looking up from the bag with her toiletries. "Home, huh?"

"I thought you wanted to 'share a real bed for real dating reasons'," he teased, and she rolled her eyes good-naturedly, standing up as she considered the implied question.

"I do like your bathtub," she said finally.

"Is that all?"

"And I like you," she said, glancing at him with a small smile, which he returned. "I like the idea of living with you."

"Me too," he said quietly, reaching for the receiver on the side table. "Pizza?"

"Yes, please."

It took her what felt like forever to wrestle off her makeup—24-hour eyeliner apparently wasn't just a marketing ploy—and once she finally got in the shower she could feel the pleasant ache starting in the muscles of her thighs. Maybe she could convince him to join her for a hot bath later.

By the time she got out he was on the phone with half a piece of pizza in his hand, a few crusts already lingering on a plate on the side table. She swiped one to nibble on (it wasn't like he'd eat them) and glanced at the Oscars recap on the screen where a reporter was interviewing Enzo.

"Have Mindy take care of it," he said, giving Caroline an apologetic look before letting his eyes drag up and down her form and tugging the covers next to him down, sliding an arm around her as she leaned against him.

"Can you pass the plate?" she whispered, and he nodded distractedly, handing her the tray one-handed and glaring in the general direction of the window.

"It can't be hard to do a tweet or two. Perhaps respond to a few fans... _Meredith_...no, Caroline and I will not take an Instagram video...they can take their bloody 'gifsets' and shove them—"

Caroline snorted at the disdain dripping off of Klaus's words, and she felt him shift next to her. "I need to call you back later."

He hung up on Meredith, putting his phone on silent and tossing it into his suitcase. "Sorry about that, sweetheart."

"It's fine," she said, trying to suppress a yawn. "I love you, but I'm going to need some time before we start doing cutesy Instagram stories."

"Do hold off for as long as possible, love. I have no objection."

"Don't want me to put up pictures of you with the dog filter or whatever? It's all the rage right now."

"No," he said grumpily.

"Have you told her that we're dating for real now?"

"No. That's a face-to-face conversation, unfortunately. I do have to do it before you move in. What's your timeline for that?"

"I just need some time to plan the move and talk to my landlord. I still have six months on my lease."

"I doubt he'll object to you buying your way out."

" _She_ ," Caroline emphasized with raised eyebrows, moving her plate from her lap to the side table and turning to face him. "I'm warning you now, though. We're getting rid of that ugly vase on your bookshelf."

"Whatever you want, sweetheart."

She let her head fall back onto his shoulder, staring at the recap on the screen where it had just cut to him winning, television-Caroline giving him a hug and a kiss. Now that she saw them in motion, she couldn't help but kick herself again about how she'd been so deep in denial.

"Stop fretting, sweetheart," Klaus said, reaching to grab her hand and squeezing it.

"I'm not fretting."

He hummed, clearly wanting to argue, and she huffed. "I just...we could have been together this whole time for real. I wasted so long freaking out about ruining our friendship."

"It wasn't a waste," he said firmly, giving her a serious look that made her heart skip. "Our friendship was never some sort of barrier for me to overcome, nor was it some sort of stepping stone. If you didn't have romantic feelings for me, it would have been disappointing of course, but it wouldn't make me value what we have any less."

She felt a lump in her throat and tried to swallow down her emotions, staring at him. He didn't often speak so plainly about his feelings, and something about knowing that their connection was what mattered to him, that his caring and affection for her was unconditional, might have made it the most romantic thing she'd ever heard.

"Me too," she choked out, feeling her chest warm when she glanced at him, every insecurity melting away. "You're still my best friend."

"Mine too, sweetheart."

"Biffles, even," she added, bumping his shoulder with hers at his long-suffering sigh.

"It's been years and I must admit I don't know what that means."

"Seriously?" Caroline asked, turning around more fully in his arms.

"Yes."

She smiled, pecking him on the lips.

"Best friends for life, you dork."

* * *

 _SHE SAID YES?_

 _by Josh Rosza_

 _Actor and Oscar-winner Klaus Mikaelson and long-time friend, girlfriend, now possibly fiance Caroline Forbes were spotted walking through Central Park together on Saturday afternoon. It's not uncommon to spot them here, a security guard lingering behind them, and those with long memories (has it really been two years?) might recall that it was the first place they were caught kissing on camera. This time, Caroline seemed to have gotten a new piece of jewelry halfway through their date—a ring, to be exact. Though Mikaelson's team did not respond when asked for comment, it's hard to pretend we all don't know what this means._

 _We did reach out to the possible bride-to-be's long-time friend, designer Katerina Petrova for obvious reasons—Caroline has never worn another designer to a public event—and though she denied knowing anything specific, she did mention that she was planning on doing a wedding collection for Spring._

 _Take from that what you will._

* * *

So, what did you think? Did you like the smut? Was the ending in character? How do you feel about the article? Any constructive criticism? Favorite parts or lines? What keeps me inspired to write is your feedback, and comments from you guys are why I'm still writing. I hope you can share your thoughts with me because it makes me a better writer and helps me churn out more fic!

Thank you so much for sticking with me through this fic! It blew up so unexpectedly and I'm so grateful that you guys were willing to ride the idea roller-coaster with me. Again, huge thanks to Kelly for being her amazing beta self and to Colleen, Melissa, Laura, Morgan, and the rest of my wonderful supporting hashtag-squad for helping me not be a huge mess.

If you're new to the party, you can follow me on tumblr at thetourguidebarbie.


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